Wiping products having enhanced cleaning abilities

ABSTRACT

Wiping products are disclosed containing an additive composition that enhances the cleaning properties of the product. The additive composition, for instance, comprises an aqueous dispersion containing an alpha-olefin polymer, an ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer, or mixtures thereof. The alpha-olefin polymer may comprise an interpolymer of ethylene and octene, while the ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer may comprise ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The additive composition may also contain a dispersing agent, such as a fatty acid.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. Ser. No. 11/303,002 filed on Dec. 15, 2005, U.S.Ser. No. 11/304,490 filed on Dec. 15, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/303,036filed on Dec. 15, 2005, U.S. Ser. No. 11/304,998 filed on Dec. 15, 2005,U.S. Ser. No. 11/304,063 filed on Dec. 15, 2005 and U.S. Ser. No.11/635,385 filed on Dec. 7, 2006.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The instant invention relates to wet and dry wiping products havingimproved properties due to the presence of an additive composition.

BACKGROUND

Wiping products such as paper towels, facial tissues, bath tissues andother similar products are designed to include several importantproperties. For example, the products should have good bulk, a soft feeland should be highly absorbent. The products should also have sufficientstrength for the intended application and resist tearing, even whilewet.

Many wiping products, however, do not effectively clean, pick up or holdnon-aqueous materials and substances from the top of dry surfaces.Instead, some wiping products only slide over or push around dirt andparticles on surfaces and need to be moistened or wetted with a cleaningsolution before having the ability to effectively pick up and/or holdunmoistened or non-aqueous materials and particles. In addition, manydisposable wiping products such as paper towels and facial tissues havea tendency to generate lint on the surfaces after use.

In view of the above, a need exists for wiping products that haveenhanced ability to hold and retain dirt particles.

SUMMARY

The instant invention is a wiping product with enhanced cleaningproperties. The wiping product comprises a base sheet, and an additivecomposition containing a polymer. The wiping product may comprise, forinstance, a bath tissue, a facial tissue, a paper towel, an industrialwiper, a premoistened wiper and the like including other nonwoven, wovenor knitted wiping products. The product may contain one ply or maycontain multiple plies. In accordance with the present disclosure, theadditive composition can be incorporated into the base sheet in order toenhance the ability of the wiping product to capture dirt particles whenwiped against an adjacent surface. The base sheet may, for example, be abase web.

The additive composition can also be incorporated into the wipingproduct in order to improve the strength of the product withoutsignificantly affecting the softness and/or blocking behavior of theproduct in a negative manner. In fact, the additive composition mayactually improve softness in conjunction with improving strength. Theadditive composition can also increase strength without associatedproblems with blocking. The additive composition may comprise, forinstance, an aqueous dispersion containing a thermoplastic resin. In oneembodiment, the additive composition is applied topically to a basesheet.

The additive composition may comprise a non-fibrous olefin polymer. Theadditive composition, for instance, may comprise a film-formingcomposition and the olefin polymer may comprise an interpolymer ofethylene and at least one comonomer comprising an alkene, such as1-octene. The additive composition may also contain a dispersing agent,such as a carboxylic acid. Examples of particular dispersing agents, forinstance, include fatty acids, such as oleic acid or stearic acid.

In one particular embodiment, the additive composition may contain anethylene and octene copolymer in combination with an ethylene-acrylicacid copolymer. The ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is not only athermoplastic resin, but may also serve as a dispersing agent. Theethylene and octene copolymer may be present in combination with theethylene-acrylic acid copolymer in a weight ratio of from about 1:10 toabout 10:1, such as from about 2:3 to about 3:2.

The olefin polymer composition may exhibit a crystallinity of less thanabout 50%, such as less than about 20%. The olefin polymer may also havea melt index of less than about 1000 g/10 min, such as less than about700 g/10 min. The olefin polymer may also have a relatively smallparticle size, such as from about 0.1 micron to about 5 microns whencontained in an aqueous dispersion.

In an alternative embodiment, the additive composition may contain anethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer maybe present in the additive composition in combination with a dispersingagent, such as a fatty acid.

In one embodiment, the additive composition can be topically applied toone or both sides of a base web, e.g. a tissue web. Once applied to abase web, it has been discovered that the additive composition may forma discontinuous but interconnected film depending upon the amountapplied to the web. In this manner, the additive composition increasesthe strength of the web without significantly interfering with theability of the web to absorb fluids. For example, the discontinuous filmthat is formed includes openings that allow liquids to be absorbed bythe base web.

In other embodiments, the additive composition may be applied to a webin relatively light amounts such that the additive composition formsdiscrete treated areas on the surface of the web. Even at such lowamounts, however, the additive composition can still enhance one or moreproperties of the web.

Also of advantage, the additive composition does not substantiallypenetrate into the base web when applied. For instance, the additivecomposition penetrates the base webin an amount less than about 30% ofthe thickness of the web, such as less than about 20%, such as less thanabout 10% of the thickness of the web. By remaining primarily on thesurface of the web, the additive composition does not interfere with theliquid absorption capacity properties of the web. Further, the additivecomposition does not substantially increase the stiffness of the weband, as described above, without creating problems with blocking.

In one embodiment, the additive composition may be applied to one sideof a base web for adhering the base web to a creping drum and forcreping the base web from the drum surface. In this embodiment, forinstance, the additive composition may be applied to one side of thebase web according to a pattern. The pattern may comprise, for instance,a pattern of discrete shapes, a reticulated pattern, or a combination ofboth. In order to apply the additive composition to the tissue web, theadditive composition may be printed onto the base web according to thepattern. For instance, in one embodiment, a rotogravure printer may beused.

The additive composition may be applied to one side of the base web inan amount from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight. In some embodiments,after the additive composition is applied to the web, the web can bedried at a temperature in the range of equal to or greater than themelting point temperature of the base polymer in the additivecomposition. Once applied, the additive composition stays substantiallyon the surface of the base web for increasing strength withoutinterfering with the absorption properties of the web. For instance,when applied to the tissue web, the additive composition may penetratethe base web less than about 10% of the thickness of the tissue web,such as less than about 5% of the thickness of the web. The additivecomposition may form a discontinuous film on the surface of the base webfor providing strength while also providing untreated areas whereliquids may be quickly absorbed by the web.

When the base web is adhered to the creping drum, if desired, thecreping drum may be heated. For instance, the creping surface may beheated to a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 200° C., such asfrom about 100° C. to about 150° C. The additive composition may beapplied only to a single side of the base web or may be applied to bothsides of the web according to the same or different patterns. Whenapplied to both sides of the web, both sides of the web may be crepedfrom a creping drum or only one side of the web may be creped.

The base web treated with the additive composition may, in oneembodiment, comprise an uncreped through-air dried web prior to applyingthe additive composition. Once creped from the creping surface, the webmay have any bulk; for example, the treated web may have a bulk of lessthan 3 cc/g; or in the alternative, the treated web may have a bulk inthe range of equal or greater than 3 cc/g; such as 3 cc/g to 20 cc/g,such as from about 5 cc/g to 15 cc/g. The tissue product may be used asa single ply product or may be incorporated into a multiple ply product.

As described above, the additive composition may improve variousproperties of the base sheet. For instance, the additive composition isparticularly well suited for improving the ability of the base sheet tocapture dirt particles and clean surfaces. Specifically, base sheetstreated with the additive composition can have an increased CleaningTest Value as defined in the examples in comparison to an identical basesheet that is not similarly treated. For instance, base sheets treatedwith the additive composition in accordance with the present disclosurecan have a Cleaning Test Value of greater than about 6 mg, such asgreater than about 7 mg, such as even greater than about 8 mg. Forinstance, base sheets treated in accordance with the present disclosurecan have a Cleaning Test Value of from about 6 mg to about 15 mg or evengreater.

In addition, the additive composition provides the base sheet with alotiony and soft feel. One test that measures one aspect of softness iscalled the Stick-Slip Test. During the Stick-Slip Test, a sled is pulledover a surface of the base sheet while the resistive force is measured.A higher stick-slip number indicates a more lotiony surface with lowerdrag forces. Base webs treated in accordance with the presentdisclosure, for instance, can have a stick-slip on one side of greaterthan about −0.01, such as from about −0.006 to about 0.7, such as fromabout 0 to about 0.7.

In addition, the properties of the base sheet are improved withoutcreating any significant blocking problems. For instance, Wipingproducts treated in accordance with the present disclosure when stackedtogether can have a sheet blocking of less than 15 gf, such as less thanabout 10 gf. For example, in certain embodiments, stacked products canhave a sheet blocking of less than about 5 gf, such as even less thanabout 2 gf.

The base sheets treated in accordance with the present disclosure can bemade entirely from cellulosic fibers, such as pulp fibers, or can bemade from a mixture of fibers. For instance, the base sheets cancomprise cellulosic fibers in combination with synthetic fibers. Thebase sheet may, for example, comprise less than 50 percent by weight ofcellulosic fibers based on the weight of the base sheet; for example,the base sheet may comprise 0 to 49 percent by weight of cellulosicfibers based on the weight of the sheet. In the alternative, a portionof the fibers, such as greater than 50 percent by dry weight, or from 55to 99 percent by dry weight, can be synthetic fibers such as rayon,polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, bicomponent sheath-core fibers,multi-component binder fibers, and the like. In the alternative, thebase sheet can be made entirely from synthetic fibers such as rayon,polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, bicomponent sheath-core fibers,multi-component binder fibers, and the like.

Base sheets that may be treated in accordance with the presentdisclosure include wet-laid tissue webs. In other embodiments, however,the base sheet may comprise an airlaid web, a hydroentangled web, acoform web, and the like. In addition, any suitable wiping product maybe treated with the additive composition in accordance with the presentdisclosure. Other base sheets therefore may include meltblown webs,spunbond webs, bonded carded webs, woven materials, knitted materials,and laminates thereof.

Other features and aspects of the present invention are discussed ingreater detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the instant invention, there is shown inthe drawings a form that is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tissue web forming machine,illustrating the formation of a stratified base web having multiplelayers in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a process for forminguncreped through-dried tissue webs for use in the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a process for formingwet pressed, creped tissue webs for use in the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a process forapplying additive compositions to each side of a base web and crepingone side of the web in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of one embodiment of a pattern that is used toapply additive compositions to tissue webs made in accordance with thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of a pattern that is used to apply additivecompositions to tissue webs in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another alternative embodiment of a patternthat is used to apply additive compositions to tissue webs in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of a processfor applying an additive composition to one side of the base web andcreping one side of the web in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9-26 and 28-34 are the results obtained in the Examples asdescribed below;

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating the equipment used to perform aStick-Slip Test;

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a process forforming creped tissue webs in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram of still another embodiment of a processfor applying an additive composition to one side of a base web andcreping one side of the web in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram of still another embodiment of a processfor applying an additive composition to one side of a base web andcreping one side of the web in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 38 is a cross sectional view of the sample preparation used toperform a blocking test;

FIGS. 39, 40 and 41 are the results obtained in Example No. 6 below; and

FIGS. 42, 43 and 44 are the results obtained in Example Nos. 7, 8 and 9below.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elementsof the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that thepresent discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only, andis not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the presentdisclosure.

The instant invention is a wiping product with enhanced cleaningproperties. The wiping product comprises a base sheet, and an additivecomposition containing a polymer. The base sheet may for example be abase web. The additive composition may comprise a polyolefin dispersion.For example, the polyolefin dispersion may contain polymeric particleshaving a relatively small size, such as less than about 5 microns, in anaqueous medium when applied or incorporated into a base sheet. Oncedried, however, the polymeric particles are generally indistinguishable.For example, in one embodiment, the additive composition may comprise afilm-forming composition that forms a discontinuous film and/or formsdiscrete treated areas on the base sheet. In some embodiments, thepolyolefin dispersion may also contain a dispersing agent.

As will be described in greater detail below, the additive compositioncan be incorporated into a base web using various techniques and duringdifferent stages of production of the wiping product. For example, inone embodiment, the additive composition can be combined with an aqueoussuspension of fibers that is used to form the tissue web. In analternative embodiment, the additive composition can be applied to a drypulp sheet that is used to form an aqueous suspension of fibers. Instill another embodiment, the additive composition may be topicallyapplied to a base sheet. For example, the additive composition may beapplied to a base web during a creping operation. In particular, theadditive composition has been found well-suited for adhering a base webto a creping surface during a creping process.

The use of the additive composition containing a polyolefin dispersionhas been found to provide various benefits and advantages depending uponthe particular embodiment. For example, as described above, the additivecomposition enhances the ability of a base sheet to clean surfaces andcapture dirt particles. In particular, dirt particles are attached andheld to the base sheet by the additive composition. Although unknown, itis believed that the additive composition produces triboelectricproperties that are well suited for attracting and holding dirtparticles. In particular, it is believed that the additive compositioncreates a static charge and also increases the coefficient of frictionwhich enhances the ability of a base sheet to clean an adjacent surface.As will also be described below, the additive composition increases thecoefficient of friction but yet glides across a surface once motion hasstarted.

Thus, the additive composition is particularly well suited for beingincorporated into any suitable wiping product for cleaning adjacentsurfaces. Once present on the base sheet, the additive composition iscapable of enhancing the cleaning performance of the base sheet onmultiple surfaces such as glass surfaces, plastic surfaces, woodsurfaces, metal surfaces, one's skin, and the like. Further, theadditive composition does not create any streaking or leave any residue.When applied to tissue products, the additive composition also reducesthe amount of lint produced by the product.

A cleaning test that quantitatively measures the enhanced cleaningability of base sheets made according to the present disclosure isdescribed in the examples below. It has been discovered that base sheetstreated with the additive composition have an increased Cleaning TestValue in relation to identical untreated sheets. For instance, basesheets treated in accordance with the present disclosure can have aCleaning Test Value of greater than about 6 mg, such as greater thanabout 7 mg, such as even greater than about 8 mg. In addition, theadditive composition has been found to improve the geometric meantensile strength and the geometric mean tensile energy absorbed oftreated base sheets in comparison to untreated sheets. Further, theabove strength properties may be improved without significantlyadversely impacting the stiffness of the base sheets in relation tountreated sheets.

When applied to wiping products, the increase in strength properties isalso comparable to prior art tissue webs treated with a bondingmaterial, such as an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer. Problems withsheet blocking, however, which is the tendency of adjacent sheets tostick together, is significantly reduced when base webs, such as tissuewebs, are made in accordance with the present disclosure as compared tothose treated with an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer additivecomposition, as has been done in the past.

The above advantages and benefits may be obtained by incorporating theadditive composition into the base sheets at virtually any point duringthe manufacture of the sheet. The additive composition generallycontains an aqueous dispersion comprising at least one thermoplasticresin, water, and, optionally, at least one dispersing agent. Thethermoplastic resin is present within the dispersion at a relativelysmall particle size. For example, the average volumetric particle sizeof the polymer may be less than about 5 microns. The actual particlesize may depend upon various factors including the thermoplastic polymerthat is present in the dispersion. Thus, the average volumetric particlesize may be from about 0.05 microns to about 5 microns, such as lessthan about 4 microns, such as less than about 3 microns, such as lessthan about 2 microns, such as less than about 1 micron. Particle sizescan be measured on a Coulter LS230 light-scattering particle sizeanalyzer or other suitable device. When present in the aqueousdispersion and when present in the tissue web, the thermoplastic resinis typically found in a non-fibrous form.

The particle size distribution of the polymer particles in thedispersion may be less than or equal to about 2.0, such as less than1.9, 1.7 or 1.5.

Examples of aqueous dispersions that may be incorporated into theadditive composition of the present disclosure are disclosed, forinstance, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0100754, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0192365, PCT Publication No. WO2005/021638, and PCT Publication No. WO 2005/021622, which are allincorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment, the additive composition may comprise a film formingcomposition capable of forming a film on the surface of a tissue web.For instance, when topically applied to a tissue web, the additivecomposition can form a discontinuous but interconnected film. In otherwords, the additive composition forms an interconnected polymer networkover the surface of the base web. The film or polymer network, however,is discontinuous in that various openings are contained within the film.The size of the openings can vary depending upon the amount of additivecomposition that is applied to the web and the manner in which theadditive composition is applied. Of particular advantage, the openingsallow liquids to be absorbed through the discontinuous film and into theinterior of the base web. In this regard, the wicking properties of thebase web are not substantially affected by the presence of the additivecomposition.

In other embodiments, when the additive composition is added inrelatively small amounts to the base web, the additive composition doesnot form an interconnected network but, instead, appears on the basesheet as treated discrete areas. Even at relatively low amounts,however, the additive composition can still enhance at least oneproperty of the base sheet. For instance, the feel of the base sheet canbe improved even in amounts less than about 2.5% by weight, such as lessthan 2% by weight, such as less than 1.5% by weight, such as less than1% by weight, such as even less than 0.5% by weight.

Further, in some embodiments, the additive composition remains primarilyon the surface of the base web and does not penetrate the web onceapplied. In this manner, not only does the discontinuous film allow thebase web to absorb fluids that contact the surface but also does notsignificantly interfere with the ability of the base web to absorbrelatively large amounts of fluid. Thus, the additive composition doesnot significantly interfere with the liquid absorption properties of theweb while increasing the strength of the web without substantiallyimpacting adversely on the stiffness of the web.

The thickness of the additive composition when present on the surface ofa base sheet can vary depending upon the ingredients of the additivecomposition and the amount applied. In general, for instance, thethickness can vary from about 0.01 microns to about 10 microns. Athigher add-on levels, for instance, the thickness may be from about 3microns to about 8 microns. At lower add-on levels, however, thethickness may be from about 0.1 microns to about 1 micron, such as fromabout 0.3 microns to about 0.7 microns.

At relatively low add-on levels, the additive composition may alsodeposit differently on the base sheet than when at relatively highadd-on levels. For example, at relatively low add-on levels, not only dodiscrete treated areas form on the base sheet, but the additivecomposition may better follow the topography of the base sheet. Forinstance, in one embodiment, it has been discovered that the additivecomposition follows the crepe pattern of a base sheet when the basesheet is creped.

The thermoplastic resin contained within the additive composition mayvary depending upon the particular application and the desired result.In one embodiment, for instance, thermoplastic resin is an olefinpolymer. As used herein, an olefin polymer refers to a class ofunsaturated open-chain hydrocarbons having the general formulaC_(n)H_(2n). The olefin polymer may be present as a copolymer, such asan interpolymer. As used herein, a substantially olefin polymer refersto a polymer that contains less than about 1% substitution.

In one particular embodiment, for instance, the olefin polymer maycomprise an alpha-olefin interpolymer of ethylene with at least onecomonomer selected from the group consisting of a C₄-C₂₀ linear,branched or cyclic diene, or an ethylene vinyl compound, such as vinylacetate, and a compound represented by the formula H₂C═CHR wherein R isa C₁-C₂₀ linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group or a C₆-C₂₀ aryl group.Examples of comonomers include propylene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene,4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 1-heptene, 1-hexene, 1-octene,1-decene, and 1-dodecene. In some embodiments, the interpolymer ofethylene has a density of less than about 0.92 g/cc.

In other embodiments, the thermoplastic resin comprises an alpha-olefininterpolymer of propylene with at least one comonomer selected from thegroup consisting of ethylene, a C₄-C₂₀ linear, branched or cyclic diene,and a compound represented by the formula H₂C═CHR wherein R is a C₁-C₂₀linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group or a C₆-C₂₀ aryl group. Examplesof comonomers include ethylene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene,4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 1-heptene, 1-hexene, 1-octene,1-decene, and 1-dodecene. In some embodiments, the comonomer is presentat about 5% by weight to about 25% by weight of the interpolymer. In oneembodiment, a propylene-ethylene interpolymer is used.

Other examples of thermoplastic resins which may be used in the presentdisclosure include homopolymers and copolymers (including elastomers) ofan olefin such as ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 3-methyl-1-butene,4-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 1-heptene, 1-hexene, 1-octene,1-decene, and 1-dodecene as typically represented by polyethylene,polypropylene, poly-1-butene, poly-3-methyl-1-butene,poly-3-methyl-1-pentene, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene, ethylene-propylenecopolymer, ethylene-1-butene copolymer, and propylene-1-butenecopolymer; copolymers (including elastomers) of an alpha-olefin with aconjugated or non-conjugated diene as typically represented byethylene-butadiene copolymer and ethylene-ethylidene norbornenecopolymer; and polyolefins (including elastomers) such as copolymers oftwo or more alpha-olefins with a conjugated or non-conjugated diene astypically represented by ethylene-propylene-butadiene copolymer,ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer,ethylene-propylene-1,5-hexadiene copolymer, andethylene-propylene-ethylidene norbornene copolymer; ethylene-vinylcompound copolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers withN-methylol functional comonomers, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers withN-methylol functional comonomers, ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer,ethylene acrylic acid or ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymers, andethylene-(meth)acrylate copolymer; styrenic copolymers (includingelastomers) such as polystyrene, ABS, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer,methylstyrene-styrene copolymer; and styrene block copolymers (includingelastomers) such as styrene-butadiene copolymer and hydrate thereof, andstyrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer; polyvinyl compounds such aspolyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, vinyl chloride-vinylidenechloride copolymer, polymethyl acrylate, and polymethyl methacrylate;polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 6,6, and nylon 12; thermoplasticpolyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutyleneterephthalate; polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, and the like. Theseresins may be used either alone or in combinations of two or more.

In particular embodiments, polyolefins such as polypropylene,polyethylene, and copolymers thereof and blends thereof, as well asethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers are used. In some embodiments, theolefinic polymers include homogeneous polymers described in U.S. Pat.No. 3,645,992 by Elston; high density polyethylene (HDPE) as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,698 to Anderson; heterogeneously branched linearlow density polyethylene (LLDPE); heterogeneously branched ultra lowlinear density (ULDPE); homogeneously branched, linearethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers; homogeneously branched, substantiallylinear ethylene/alpha-olefin polymers which can be prepared, forexample, by a process disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,236 and5,278,272, the disclosure of which process is incorporated herein byreference; and high pressure, free radical polymerized ethylene polymersand copolymers such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). In still anotherembodiment of the present invention, the thermoplastic resin comprisesan ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer, such as ethylene-acrylic acid(EAA) and ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers such as for example thoseavailable under the tradenames PRIMACOR™ from The Dow Chemical Company,NUCREL™ from DuPont, and ESCOR™ from ExxonMobil, and described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,599,392, 4,988,781, and 5,384,373, each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA) copolymers. Polymer compositions described in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,538,070, 6,566,446, 5,869,575, 6,448,341, 5,677,383, 6,316,549,6,111,023, or 5,844,045, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety, are also suitable in some embodiments. Ofcourse, blends of polymers can be used as well. In some embodiments, theblends include two different Ziegler-Natta polymers. In otherembodiments, the blends can include blends of a Ziegler-Natta and ametallocene polymer. In still other embodiments, the thermoplastic resinused herein is a blend of two different metallocene polymers.

In one particular embodiment, the thermoplastic resin comprises analpha-olefin interpolymer of ethylene with a comonomer comprising analkene, such as 1-octene. The ethylene and octene copolymer may bepresent alone in the additive composition or in combination with anotherthermoplastic resin, such as ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. Ofparticular advantage, the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer not only is athermoplastic resin, but also serves as a dispersing agent. For someembodiments, the additive composition should comprise a film-formingcomposition. It has been found that the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymermay assist in forming films, while the ethylene and octene copolymerlowers the stiffness. When applied to a base web, the composition may ormay not form a film within the product, depending upon how thecomposition is applied and the amount of the composition that isapplied. When forming a film on the base web, the film may be continuousor discontinuous. When present together, the weight ratio between theethylene and octene copolymer and the ethylene-acrylic acid copolymermay be from about 1:10 to about 10:1, such as from about 3:2 to about2:3.

The thermoplastic resin, such as the ethylene and octene copolymer, mayhave a crystallinity of less than about 50%, such as less than about25%. The polymer may have been produced using a single site catalyst andmay have a weight average molecular weight of from about 15,000 to about5 million, such as from about 20,000 to about 1 million. The molecularweight distribution of the polymer may be from about 1.01 to about 40,such as from about 1.5 to about 20, such as from about 1.8 to about 10.

Depending upon the thermoplastic polymer, the melt index of the polymermay range from about 0.001 g/10 min to about 1,000 g/10 min, such asfrom about 0.5 g/10 min to about 800 g/10 min. For example, in oneembodiment, the melt index of the thermoplastic resin may be from about100 g/10 min to about 700 g/10 min.

The thermoplastic resin may also have a relatively low melting point.For instance, the melting point of the thermoplastic resin may be lessthan about 140° C., such as less than 130° C., such as less than 120° C.For instance, in one embodiment, the melting point may be less thanabout 90° C. The glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resinmay also be relatively low. For instance, the glass transitiontemperature may be less than about 50° C., such as less than about 40°C.

The one or more thermoplastic resins may be contained within theadditive composition in an amount from about 1% by weight to about 96%by weight. For instance, the thermoplastic resin may be present in theaqueous dispersion in an amount from about 10% by weight to about 70% byweight, such as from about 20% to about 50% by weight.

In addition to at least one thermoplastic resin, the aqueous dispersionmay also contain a dispersing agent. A dispersing agent is an agent thataids in the formation and/or the stabilization of the dispersion. One ormore dispersing agents may be incorporated into the additivecomposition.

In general, any suitable dispersing agent can be used. In oneembodiment, for instance, the dispersing agent comprises at least onecarboxylic acid, a salt of at least one carboxylic acid, or carboxylicacid ester or salt of the carboxylic acid ester. Examples of carboxylicacids useful as a dispersant comprise fatty acids such as montanic acid,stearic acid, oleic acid, and the like. In some embodiments, thecarboxylic acid, the salt of the carboxylic acid, or at least onecarboxylic acid fragment of the carboxylic acid ester or at least onecarboxylic acid fragment of the salt of the carboxylic acid ester hasfewer than 25 carbon atoms. In other embodiments, the carboxylic acid,the salt of the carboxylic acid, or at least one carboxylic acidfragment of the carboxylic acid ester or at least one carboxylic acidfragment of the salt of the carboxylic acid ester has 12 to 25 carbonatoms. In some embodiments, carboxylic acids, salts of the carboxylicacid, at least one carboxylic acid fragment of the carboxylic acid esteror its salt has 15 to carbon atoms are preferred. In other embodiments,the number of carbon atoms is 25 to 60. Some examples of salts comprisea cation selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal cation,alkaline earth metal cation, or ammonium or alkyl ammonium cation.

In still other embodiments, the dispersing agent is selected from thegroup consisting of ethylene-carboxylic acid polymers, and their salts,such as ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers or ethylene-methacrylic acidcopolymers.

In other embodiments, the dispersing agent is selected from alkyl ethercarboxylates, petroleum sulfonates, sulfonated polyoxyethylenatedalcohol, sulfated or phosphated polyoxyethylenated alcohols, polymericethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide dispersing agents, primaryand secondary alcohol ethoxylates, alkyl glycosides and alkylglycerides.

When ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is used as a dispersing agent, thecopolymer may also serve as a thermoplastic resin.

In one particular embodiment, the aqueous dispersion contains anethylene and octene copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, and afatty acid, such as stearic acid or oleic acid. The dispersing agent,such as the carboxylic acid, may be present in the aqueous dispersion inan amount from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight.

In addition to the above components, the aqueous dispersion alsocontains water. Water may be added as deionized water, if desired. ThepH of the aqueous dispersion is generally less than about 12, such asfrom about 5 to about 11.5, such as from about 7 to about 11. Theaqueous dispersion may have a solids content of less than about 75%,such as less than about 70%. For instance, the solids content of theaqueous dispersion may range from about 5% to about 60%. In general, thesolids content can be varied depending upon the manner in which theadditive composition is applied or incorporated into the tissue web. Forinstance, when incorporated into the base web during formation, such asby being added with an aqueous suspension of fibers, a relatively highsolids content can be used. When topically applied such as by sprayingor printing, however, a lower solids content may be used in order toimprove processability through the spray or printing device.

While any method may be used to produce the aqueous dispersion, in oneembodiment, the dispersion may be formed through a melt-kneadingprocess. For example, the kneader may comprise a Banbury mixer,single-screw extruder or a multi-screw extruder. The melt-kneading maybe conducted under the conditions which are typically used formelt-kneading the one or more thermoplastic resins.

In one particular embodiment, the process includes melt-kneading thecomponents that make up the dispersion. The melt-kneading machine mayinclude multiple inlets for the various components. For example, theextruder may include four inlets placed in series. Further, if desired,a vacuum vent may be added at an optional position of the extruder.

In some embodiments, the dispersion is first diluted to contain about 1to about 3% by weight water and then, subsequently, further diluted tocomprise greater than about 25% by weight water.

When treating base webs in accordance with the present disclosure, theadditive composition containing the aqueous polymer dispersion can beapplied to the base web topically or can be incorporated into the baseweb by being pre-mixed with the fibers that are used to form the web.When applied topically, the additive composition can be applied to thebase web when wet or dry. In one embodiment, the additive compositionmay be applied topically to the web during a creping process. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be sprayedonto the web or onto a heated dryer drum in order to adhere the web tothe dryer drum. The web can then be creped from the dryer drum. When theadditive composition is applied to the web and then adhered to the dryerdrum, the composition may be uniformly applied over the surface area ofthe web or may be applied according to a particular pattern.

When topically applied to a base web, the additive composition may besprayed onto the web, extruded onto the web, or printed onto the web.When extruded onto the web, any suitable extrusion device may be used,such as a slot-coat extruder or a meltblown dye extruder. When printedonto the web, any suitable printing device may be used. For example, aninkjet printer or a rotogravure printing device may be used.

In one embodiment, the additive composition may be heated prior to orduring application to a base web. Heating the composition can lower theviscosity for facilitating application. For instance, the additivecomposition may be heated to a temperature of from about 50° C. to about150° C.

Tissue products made according to the present disclosure may includesingle-ply tissue products or multiple-ply tissue products. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the product may include two plies or threeplies.

In general, any suitable base web may be treated in accordance with thepresent disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, the base sheet canbe a tissue product, such as a bath tissue, a facial tissue, a papertowel, an industrial wiper, and the like. The wiping product may haveany bulk; for example, the wiping product may have a bulk of less than 3cc/g; or in the alternative, the wiping product may have a bulk in therange of equal or greater than 3 cc/g; such as 3 cc/g to 20 cc/g, suchas from about 5 cc/g to 15 cc/g. The wiping products can contain one ormore plies and can be made from any suitable types of fiber.

Fibers suitable for making tissue webs comprise any natural or syntheticcellulosic fibers including, but not limited to nonwoody fibers, such ascotton, abaca, kenaf, sabai grass, flax, esparto grass, straw, jutehemp, bagasse, milkweed floss fibers, and pineapple leaf fibers; andwoody or pulp fibers such as those obtained from deciduous andconiferous trees, including softwood fibers, such as northern andsouthern softwood kraft fibers; hardwood fibers, such as eucalyptus,maple, birch, and aspen. Pulp fibers can be prepared in high-yield orlow-yield forms and can be pulped in any known method, including kraft,sulfite, high-yield pulping methods and other known pulping methods.Fibers prepared from organosolv pulping methods can also be used,including the fibers and methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,898,issued Dec. 27, 1988 to Laamanen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,130, issuedJun. 10, 1986 to Chang et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,104. Usefulfibers can also be produced by anthraquinone pulping, exemplified byU.S. Pat. No. 5,595,628 issued Jan. 21, 1997, to Gordon et al.

The base sheet may, for example, comprise less than 50 percent by weightof cellulosic fibers based on the weight of the base sheet; for example,the base sheet may comprise 0 to 49 percent by weight of cellulosicfibers based on the weight of the sheet. In the alternative, a portionof the fibers, such as greater than 50 percent by dry weight, or from 55to 99 percent by dry weight, can be synthetic fibers such as rayon,polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, bicomponent sheath-core fibers,multi-component binder fibers, and the like. In the alternative, basesheet may comprise of non-cellulosic materials. For example, the basesheet can be made entirely from synthetic fibers such as rayon,polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, bicomponent sheath-core fibers,multi-component binder fibers, and the like. An exemplary polyethylenefiber is Fybrel®, available from Minifibers, Inc. (Jackson City, Tenn.).Any known bleaching method can be used. Synthetic cellulose fiber typesinclude rayon in all its varieties and other fibers derived from viscoseor chemically-modified cellulose. Chemically treated natural cellulosicfibers can be used such as mercerized pulps, chemically stiffened orcrosslinked fibers, or sulfonated fibers. For good mechanical propertiesin using papermaking fibers, it can be desirable that the fibers berelatively undamaged and largely unrefined or only lightly refined.While recycled fibers can be used, virgin fibers are generally usefulfor their mechanical properties and lack of contaminants. Mercerizedfibers, regenerated cellulosic fibers, cellulose produced by microbes,rayon, and other cellulosic material or cellulosic derivatives can beused. Suitable papermaking fibers can also include recycled fibers,virgin fibers, or mixes thereof. In certain embodiments capable of highbulk and good compressive properties, the fibers can have a CanadianStandard Freeness of at least 200, more specifically at least 300, morespecifically still at least 400, and most specifically at least 500.

Other papermaking fibers that can be used in the present disclosureinclude paper broke or recycled fibers and high yield fibers. High yieldpulp fibers are those papermaking fibers produced by pulping processesproviding a yield of about 65% or greater, more specifically about 75%or greater, and still more specifically about 75% to about 95%. Yield isthe resulting amount of processed fibers expressed as a percentage ofthe initial wood mass. Such pulping processes include bleachedchemithermomechanical pulp (BCTMP), chemithermomechanical pulp (CTMP),pressure/pressure thermomechanical pulp (PTMP), thermomechanical pulp(TMP), thermomechanical chemical pulp (TMCP), high yield sulfite pulps,and high yield Kraft pulps, all of which leave the resulting fibers withhigh levels of lignin. High yield fibers are well known for theirstiffness in both dry and wet states relative to typical chemicallypulped fibers.

In general, any process capable of forming a base sheet can also beutilized in the present disclosure. For example, a papermaking processof the present disclosure can utilize creping, wet creping, doublecreping, embossing, wet pressing, air pressing, through-air drying,creped through-air drying, uncreped through-air drying, hydroentangling,air laying, coform methods, as well as other steps known in the art.

Also suitable for products of the present disclosure are tissue sheetsthat are pattern densified or imprinted, such as the tissue sheetsdisclosed in any of the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,345 issued on Apr.30, 1985, to Johnson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,239 issued on Jul. 9,1985, to Trokhan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,522 issued on Mar. 24, 1992; U.S.Pat. No. 5,260,171 issued on Nov. 9, 1993, to Smurkoski et al.; U.S.Pat. No. 5,275,700 issued on Jan. 4, 1994, to Trokhan; U.S. Pat. No.5,328,565 issued on Jul. 12, 1994, to Rasch et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,334,289 issued on Aug. 2, 1994, to Trokhan et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,431,786 issued on Jul. 11, 1995, to Rasch et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,496,624 issued on Mar. 5, 1996, to Steltjes, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,500,277 issued on Mar. 19, 1996, to Trokhan et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,514,523 issued on May 7, 1996, to Trokhan et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,554,467 issued on Sep. 10, 1996, to Trokhan et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,566,724 issued on Oct. 22, 1996, to Trokhan et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,624,790 issued on Apr. 29, 1997, to Trokhan et al.; and, U.S. Pat. No.5,628,876 issued on May 13, 1997, to Ayers et al., the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they arenon-contradictory herewith. Such imprinted tissue sheets may have anetwork of densified regions that have been imprinted against a drumdryer by an imprinting fabric, and regions that are relatively lessdensified (e.g., “domes” in the tissue sheet) corresponding todeflection conduits in the imprinting fabric, wherein the tissue sheetsuperposed over the deflection conduits was deflected by an air pressuredifferential across the deflection conduit to form a lower-densitypillow-like region or dome in the tissue sheet.

The base web can also be formed without a substantial amount of innerfiber-to-fiber bond strength. In this regard, the fiber furnish used toform the base web can be treated with a chemical debonding agent. Thedebonding agent can be added to the fiber slurry during the pulpingprocess or can be added directly to the headbox. Suitable debondingagents that may be used in the present disclosure include cationicdebonding agents such as fatty dialkyl quaternary amine salts, monofatty alkyl tertiary amine salts, primary amine salts, imidazolinequaternary salts, silicone quaternary salt and unsaturated fatty alkylamine salts. Other suitable debonding agents are disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,529,665 to Kaun which is incorporated herein by reference. Inparticular, Kaun discloses the use of cationic silicone compositions asdebonding agents.

In one embodiment, the debonding agent used in the process of thepresent disclosure is an organic quaternary ammonium chloride and,particularly, a silicone-based amine salt of a quaternary ammoniumchloride. For example, the debonding agent can be PROSOFT® TQ1003,marketed by the Hercules Corporation. The debonding agent can be addedto the fiber slurry in an amount of from about 1 kg per metric tonne toabout 10 kg per metric tonne of fibers present within the slurry.

In an alternative embodiment, the debonding agent can be animidazoline-based agent. The imidazoline-based debonding agent can beobtained, for instance, from the Witco Corporation. Theimidazoline-based debonding agent can be added in an amount of between2.0 to about 15 kg per metric tonne.

In one embodiment, the debonding agent can be added to the fiber furnishaccording to a process as disclosed in PCT Application having anInternational Publication No. WO 99/34057 filed on Dec. 17, 1998 or inPCT Published Application having an International Publication No. WO00/66835 filed on Apr. 28, 2000, which are both incorporated herein byreference. In the above publications, a process is disclosed in which achemical additive, such as a debonding agent, is adsorbed ontocellulosic papermaking fibers at high levels. The process includes thesteps of treating a fiber slurry with an excess of the chemicaladditive, allowing sufficient residence time for adsorption to occur,filtering the slurry to remove unadsorbed chemical additives, andredispersing the filtered pulp with fresh water prior to forming anonwoven web.

Optional chemical additives may also be added to the aqueous papermakingfurnish or to the formed embryonic web to impart additional benefits tothe product and process and are not antagonistic to the intendedbenefits of the invention. The following materials are included asexamples of additional chemicals that may be applied to the web alongwith the additive composition of the present invention. The chemicalsare included as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. Such chemicals may be added at any point in the papermakingprocess, including being added simultaneously with the additivecomposition in the pulp making process, wherein said additive oradditives are blended directly with the additive composition.

Additional types of chemicals that may be added to the paper webinclude, but is not limited to, absorbency aids usually in the form ofcationic, anionic, or non-ionic surfactants, humectants and plasticizerssuch as low molecular weight polyethylene glycols and polyhydroxycompounds such as glycerin and propylene glycol. Materials that supplyskin health benefits such as mineral oil, aloe extract, vitamin e,silicone, lotions in general and the like may also be incorporated intothe finished products.

In general, the products of the present invention can be used inconjunction with any known materials and chemicals that are notantagonistic to its intended use. Examples of such materials include butare not limited to odor control agents, such as odor absorbents,activated carbon fibers and particles, baby powder, baking soda,chelating agents, zeolites, perfumes or other odor-masking agents,cyclodextrin compounds, oxidizers, and the like. Superabsorbentparticles, synthetic fibers, or films may also be employed. Additionaloptions include cationic dyes, optical brighteners, humectants,emollients, and the like.

The different chemicals and ingredients that may be incorporated intothe base sheet may depend upon the end use of the product. For instance,various wet strength agents may be incorporated into the product. Forbath tissue products, for example, temporary wet strength agents may beused. As used herein, wet strength agents are materials used toimmobilize the bonds between fibers in the wet state. Typically, themeans by which fibers are held together in paper and tissue productsinvolve hydrogen bonds and sometimes combinations of hydrogen bonds andcovalent and/or ionic bonds. In some applications, it may be useful toprovide a material that will allow bonding to the fibers in such a wayas to immobilize the fiber-to-fiber bond points and make them resistantto disruption in the wet state. The wet state typically means when theproduct is largely saturated with water or other aqueous solutions.

Any material that when added to a paper or tissue web results inproviding the sheet with a mean wet geometric tensile strength:drygeometric tensile strength ratio in excess of 0.1 may be termed a wetstrength agent.

Temporary wet strength agents, which are typically incorporated intobath tissues, are defined as those resins which, when incorporated intopaper or tissue products, will provide a product which retains less than50% of its original wet strength after exposure to water for a period ofat least 5 minutes. Temporary wet strength agents are well known in theart. Examples of temporary wet strength agents include polymericaldehyde-functional compounds such as glyoxylated polyacrylamide, suchas a cationic glyoxylated polyacrylamide.

Such compounds include PAREZ 631 NC wet strength resin available fromCytec Industries of West Patterson, N.J., chloroxylated polyacrylamides,and HERCOBOND 1366, manufactured by Hercules, Inc. of Wilmington, Del.Another example of a glyoxylated polyacrylamide is PAREZ 745, which is aglyoxylated poly (acrylamide-co-diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride).

For facial tissues and other tissue products, on the other hand,permanent wet strength agents may be incorporated into the base sheet.Permanent wet strength agents are also well known in the art and providea product that will retain more than 50% of its original wet strengthafter exposure to water for a period of at least 5 minutes.

Once formed, the products may be packaged in different ways. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the wiping product may be cut intoindividual sheets and stacked prior to being placed into a package.Alternatively, the wiping product may be spirally wound. When spirallywound together, each individual sheet may be separated from an adjacentsheet by a line of weakness, such as a perforation line. Bath tissuesand paper towels, for instance, are typically supplied to a consumer ina spirally wound configuration.

Base webs that may be treated in accordance with the present disclosuremay include a single homogenous layer of fibers or may include astratified or layered construction. For instance, the base web ply mayinclude two or three layers of fibers. Each layer may have a differentfiber composition. For example, referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of adevice for forming a multi-layered stratified pulp furnish isillustrated. As shown, a three-layered headbox 10 generally includes anupper head box wall 12 and a lower head box wall 14. Headbox 10 furtherincludes a first divider 16 and a second divider 18, which separatethree fiber stock layers.

Each of the fiber layers comprise a dilute aqueous suspension ofpapermaking fibers. The particular fibers contained in each layergenerally depends upon the product being formed and the desired results.For instance, the fiber composition of each layer may vary dependingupon whether a bath tissue product, facial tissue product or paper towelis being produced. In one embodiment, for instance, middle layer 20contains southern softwood kraft fibers either alone or in combinationwith other fibers such as high yield fibers. Outer layers 22 and 24, onthe other hand, contain softwood fibers, such as northern softwoodkraft.

In an alternative embodiment, the middle layer may contain softwoodfibers for strength, while the outer layers may comprise hardwoodfibers, such as eucalyptus fibers, for a perceived softness.

An endless traveling forming fabric 26, suitably supported and driven byrolls 28 and 30, receives the layered papermaking stock issuing fromheadbox 10. Once retained on fabric 26, the layered fiber suspensionpasses water through the fabric as shown by the arrows 32. Water removalis achieved by combinations of gravity, centrifugal force and vacuumsuction depending on the forming configuration.

Forming multi-layered paper webs is also described and disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,129,988 to Farrington, Jr., which is incorporated herein byreference.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the additive composition, inone embodiment, may be combined with the aqueous suspension of fibersthat are fed to the headbox 10. The additive composition, for instance,may be applied to only a single layer in the stratified fiber furnish orto all layers. When added during the wet end of the process or otherwisecombined with the aqueous suspension of fibers, the additive compositionbecomes incorporated throughout the fibrous layer.

When combined at the wet end with the aqueous suspension of fibers, aretention aid may also be present within the additive composition. Forinstance, in one particular embodiment, the retention aid may comprisepolydiallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. The additive composition may beincorporated into the base web in an amount from about 0.01% to about30% by weight, such as from about 0.5% to about 20% by weight. Forinstance, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be present inan amount up to about 10% by weight. The above percentages are basedupon the solids that are added to the tissue web.

The basis weight of base webs made in accordance with the presentdisclosure can vary depending upon the final product. For example, theprocess may be used to produce bath tissues, facial tissues, papertowels, industrial wipers, and the like. In general, the basis weight ofthe wiping products may vary from about 10 gsm to about 110 gsm, such asfrom about 20 gsm to about 90 gsm. For bath tissue and facial tissues,for instance, the basis weight may range from about 10 gsm to about 40gsm. For paper towels, on the other hand, the basis weight may rangefrom about 25 gsm to about 80 gsm.

The wiping product may have any bulk; for example, the sheet product mayhave a bulk of less than 3 cc/g; or in the alternative, the wipingproduct may have a bulk in the range of equal or greater than 3 cc/g;such as 3 cc/g to 20 cc/g, such as from about 5 cc/g to 15 cc/g. Thesheet “bulk” is calculated as the quotient of the caliper of a drytissue sheet, expressed in microns, divided by the dry basis weight,expressed in grams per square meter. The resulting sheet bulk isexpressed in cubic centimeters per gram. More specifically, the caliperis measured as the total thickness of a stack of ten representativesheets and dividing the total thickness of the stack by ten, where eachsheet within the stack is placed with the same side up. Caliper ismeasured in accordance with TAPPI test method T411 om-89 “Thickness(caliper) of Paper, Paperboard, and Combined Board” with Note 3 forstacked sheets. The micrometer used for carrying out T411 om-89 is anEmveco 200-A Tissue Caliper Tester available from Emveco, Inc., Newberg,Oreg. The micrometer has a load of 2.00 kilo-Pascals (132 grams persquare inch), a pressure foot area of 2500 square millimeters, apressure foot diameter of 56.42 millimeters, a dwell time of 3 secondsand a lowering rate of 0.8 millimeters per second.

In multiple ply products, the basis weight of each base web present inthe product can also vary. In general, the total basis weight of amultiple ply product will generally be the same as indicated above, suchas from about 20 gsm to about 110 gsm. Thus, the basis weight of eachply can be from about 10 gsm to about 60 gsm, such as from about 20 gsmto about 40 gsm.

Once the aqueous suspension of fibers is formed into a base web, e.g.tissue web, the base web may be processed using various techniques andmethods. For example, referring to FIG. 2, shown is a method for makingthroughdried tissue sheets. (For simplicity, the various tensioningrolls schematically used to define the several fabric runs are shown,but not numbered. It will be appreciated that variations from theapparatus and method illustrated in FIG. 2 can be made without departingfrom the general process). Shown is a twin wire former having apapermaking headbox 34, such as a layered headbox, which injects ordeposits a stream 36 of an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers ontothe forming fabric 38 positioned on a forming roll 39. The formingfabric serves to support and carry the newly-formed wet web downstreamin the process as the web is partially dewatered to a consistency ofabout 10 dry weight percent. Additional dewatering of the wet web can becarried out, such as by vacuum suction, while the wet web is supportedby the forming fabric.

The wet web is then transferred from the forming fabric to a transferfabric 40. In one embodiment, the transfer fabric can be traveling at aslower speed than the forming fabric in order to impart increasedstretch into the web. This is commonly referred to as a “rush” transfer.Preferably the transfer fabric can have a void volume that is equal toor less than that of the forming fabric. The relative speed differencebetween the two fabrics can be from 0-60 percent, more specifically fromabout 15-45 percent. Transfer is preferably carried out with theassistance of a vacuum shoe 42 such that the forming fabric and thetransfer fabric simultaneously converge and diverge at the leading edgeof the vacuum slot.

The web is then transferred from the transfer fabric to thethroughdrying fabric 44 with the aid of a vacuum transfer roll 46 or avacuum transfer shoe, optionally again using a fixed gap transfer aspreviously described. The throughdrying fabric can be traveling at aboutthe same speed or a different speed relative to the transfer fabric. Ifdesired, the throughdrying fabric can be run at a slower speed tofurther enhance stretch. Transfer can be carried out with vacuumassistance to ensure deformation of the sheet to conform to thethroughdrying fabric, thus yielding desired bulk and appearance ifdesired. Suitable throughdrying fabrics are described in U.S. Pat. No.5,429,686 issued to Kai F. Chiu et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,248 toWendt, et al. which are incorporated by reference.

In one embodiment, the throughdrying fabric contains high and longimpression knuckles. For example, the throughdrying fabric can haveabout from about 5 to about 300 impression knuckles per square inchwhich are raised at least about 0.005 inches above the plane of thefabric. During drying, the web can be macroscopically arranged toconform to the surface of the throughdrying fabric and form athree-dimensional surface. Flat surfaces, however, can also be used inthe present disclosure.

The side of the web contacting the throughdrying fabric is typicallyreferred to as the “fabric side” of the base web, e.g. paper web. Thefabric side of the base web, as described above, may have a shape thatconforms to the surface of the throughdrying fabric after the fabric isdried in the throughdryer. The opposite side of the base web, on theother hand, is typically referred to as the “air side”. The air side ofthe web is typically smoother than the fabric side during normalthroughdrying processes.

The level of vacuum used for the web transfers can be from about 3 toabout 15 inches of mercury (75 to about 380 millimeters of mercury),preferably about 5 inches (125 millimeters) of mercury. The vacuum shoe(negative pressure) can be supplemented or replaced by the use ofpositive pressure from the opposite side of the web to blow the web ontothe next fabric in addition to or as a replacement for sucking it ontothe next fabric with vacuum. Also, a vacuum roll or rolls can be used toreplace the vacuum shoe(s).

While supported by the throughdrying fabric, the web is finally dried toa consistency of about 94 percent or greater by the throughdryer 48 andthereafter transferred to a carrier fabric 50. The dried base sheet 52is transported to the reel 54 using carrier fabric 50 and an optionalcarrier fabric 56. An optional pressurized turning roll 58 can be usedto facilitate transfer of the web from carrier fabric 50 to fabric 56.Suitable carrier fabrics for this purpose are Albany International 84Mor 94M and Asten 959 or 937, all of which are relatively smooth fabricshaving a fine pattern. Although not shown, reel calendering orsubsequent off-line calendering can be used to improve the smoothnessand softness of the base sheet.

In one embodiment, the reel 54 shown in FIG. 2 can run at a speed slowerthan the fabric 56 in a rush transfer process for building crepe intothe paper web 52. For instance, the relative speed difference betweenthe reel and the fabric can be from about 5% to about 25% and,particularly from about 12% to about 14%. Rush transfer at the reel canoccur either alone or in conjunction with a rush transfer processupstream, such as between the forming fabric and the transfer fabric.

In one embodiment, the paper web 52 is a textured web which has beendried in a three-dimensional state such that the hydrogen bonds joiningfibers were substantially formed while the web was not in a flat, planarstate. For instance, the web can be formed while the web is on a highlytextured throughdrying fabric or other three-dimensional substrate.Processes for producing uncreped throughdried fabrics are, for instance,disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,248 to Wendt, et al.; U.S. Pat. No.5,656,132 to Farrington, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,642 to Lindsay andBurazin; U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,169 to Hermans, et al.; U.S. Pat. No.6,197,154 to Chen, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,135 to Hada, et al.,all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

As described above, the additive composition can be combined with theaqueous suspension of fibers used to form the base web 52.Alternatively, the additive composition may be topically applied to thebase web after it has been formed. For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, theadditive composition may be applied to the base web prior to the dryer48 or after the dryer 48.

In FIG. 2, a process is shown for producing uncreped through-air driedtissue webs. It should be understood, however, that the additivecomposition may be applied to tissue webs in other tissue makingprocesses. For example, referring to FIG. 3, one embodiment of a processfor forming wet pressed creped tissue webs is shown. In this embodiment,a headbox 60 emits an aqueous suspension of fibers onto a forming fabric62 which is supported and driven by a plurality of guide rolls 64. Avacuum box 66 is disposed beneath forming fabric 62 and is adapted toremove water from the fiber furnish to assist in forming a web. Fromforming fabric 62, a formed web 68 is transferred to a second fabric 70,which may be either a wire or a felt. Fabric 70 is supported formovement around a continuous path by a plurality of guide rolls 72. Alsoincluded is a pick up roll 74 designed to facilitate transfer of web 68from fabric 62 to fabric 70.

From fabric 70, web 68, in this embodiment, is transferred to thesurface of a rotatable heated dryer drum 76, such as a Yankee dryer.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the additive composition canbe incorporated into the base web 68 by being combined with an aqueoussuspension of fibers contained in the headbox 60 and/or by topicallyapplying the additive composition during the process. In one particularembodiment, the additive composition of the present disclosure may beapplied topically to the base web 68 while the web is traveling on thefabric 70 or may be applied to the surface of the dryer drum 76 fortransfer onto one side of the base web 68. In this manner, the additivecomposition is used to adhere the base web 68 to the dryer drum 76. Inthis embodiment, as web 68 is carried through a portion of therotational path of the dryer surface, heat is imparted to the webcausing most of the moisture contained within the web to be evaporated.Web 68 is then removed from dryer drum 76 by a creping blade 78. Crepingweb 78 as it is formed further reduces internal bonding within the weband increases softness. Applying the additive composition to the webduring creping, on the other hand, may increase the strength of the web.

Referring to FIG. 35, another alternative embodiment of a process forforming creped tissue webs is shown. Like reference numerals have beenused to indicate similar elements with respect to the processillustrated in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 35, the formed web 68 is transferred to the surface ofthe rotatable heated dryer drum 76, which may be a Yankee dryer. Thepress roll 72 may, in one embodiment, comprise a suction breast roll. Inorder to adhere the web 68 to the surface of the dryer drum 76, acreping adhesive may be applied to the surface of the dryer drum by aspraying device 69. The spraying device 69 may emit an additivecomposition made in accordance with the present disclosure or may emit aconventional creping adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 35, the web is adhered to the surface of the dryer drum76 and then creped from the drum using the creping blade 78. If desired,the dryer drum 76 may be associated with a hood 71. The hood 71 may beused to force air against or through the web 68.

Once creped from the dryer drum 76, the web 68 is then adhered to asecond dryer drum 73. The second dryer drum 73 may comprise, forinstance, a heated drum surrounded by a hood 77. The drum may be heatedto a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 200° C., such as fromabout 100° C. to about 150° C.

In order to adhere the web 68 to the second dryer drum 73, a secondspray device 75 may emit an adhesive onto the surface of the dryer drum.In accordance with the present disclosure, for instance, the secondspray device 75 may emit an additive composition as described above. Theadditive composition not only assists in adhering the base web 68 to thedryer drum 73, but also is transferred to the surface of the web as theweb is creped from the dryer drum 73 by the creping blade 79.

Once creped from the second dryer drum 73, the web 68 may, optionally,be fed around a cooling reel drum 81 and cooled prior to being wound ona reel 83.

The additive composition may also be used in post-forming processes. Forexample, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be used duringa print-creping process and applied to a preformed web. Specifically,once topically applied to a tissue web, the additive composition hasbeen found well-suited to adhering the base web to a creping surface,such as in a print-creping operation.

For example, once a base web is formed and dried, in one embodiment, theadditive composition may be applied to at least one side of the web andthen at least one side of the web may then be creped. In general, theadditive composition may be applied to only one side of the web and onlyone side of the web may be creped, the additive composition may beapplied to both sides of the web and only one side of the web is creped,or the additive composition may be applied to each side of the web andeach side of the web may be creped.

Referring to FIG. 4, one embodiment of a system that may be used toapply the additive composition to the base web and to crepe one side ofthe web is illustrated. The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 can be an in-lineor off-line process. As shown, base web 80 made according to the processillustrated in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 or according to a similar process, ispassed through a first additive composition application stationgenerally 82. Station 82 includes a nip formed by a smooth rubber pressroll 84 and a patterned rotogravure roll 86. Rotogravure roll 86 is incommunication with a reservoir 88 containing a first additivecomposition 90. Rotogravure roll 86 applies the additive composition 90to one side of web 80 in a preselected pattern.

Web 80 is then contacted with a heated roll 92 after passing a roll 94.The heated roll 92 can be heated to a temperature, for instance, up toabout 200° C. and particularly from about 100° C. to about 150° C. Ingeneral, the web can be heated to a temperature sufficient to dry theweb and evaporate any water.

It should be understood, that the besides the heated roll 92, anysuitable heating device can be used to dry the web. For example, in analternative embodiment, the web can be placed in communication with aninfra-red heater in order to dry the web. Besides using a heated roll oran infra-red heater, other heating devices can include, for instance,any suitable convective oven or microwave oven.

From the heated roll 92, the web 80 can be advanced by pull rolls 96 toa second additive composition application station generally 98. Station98 includes a transfer roll 100 in contact with a rotogravure roll 102,which is in communication with a reservoir 104 containing a secondadditive composition 106. Similar to station 82, second additivecomposition 106 is applied to the opposite side of web 80 in apreselected pattern. Once the second additive composition is applied,web 80 is adhered to a creping roll 108 by a press roll 110. Web 80 iscarried on the surface of the creping drum 108 for a distance and thenremoved therefrom by the action of a creping blade 112. The crepingblade 112 performs a controlled pattern creping operation on the secondside of the tissue web.

Once creped, base web 80, in this embodiment, is pulled through a dryingstation 114. Drying station 114 can include any form of a heating unit,such as an oven energized by infra-red heat, microwave energy, hot airor the like. Drying station 114 may be necessary in some applications todry the web and/or cure the additive composition. Depending upon theadditive composition selected, however, in other applications dryingstation 114 may not be needed.

The amount that the base web is heated within the drying station 114 candepend upon the particular thermoplastic resins used in the additivecomposition, the amount of the composition applied to the web, and thetype of web used. In some applications, for instance, the base web canbe heated using a gas stream such as air at a temperature of about 100°C. to about 200° C.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, although the additivecomposition is being applied to each side of the tissue web, only oneside of the web undergoes a creping process. It should be understood,however, that in other embodiments both sides of the web may be creped.For instance, the heated roll 92 may be replaced with a creping drumsuch as 108 shown in FIG. 4.

Creping the base web as shown in FIG. 4 increases the softness of theweb by breaking apart fiber-to-fiber bonds contained within the tissueweb. Applying the additive composition to the outside of the paper web,on the other hand, not only assists in creping the web but also adds drystrength, wet strength, stretchability and tear resistance to the web.Further, the additive composition reduces the release of lint from thebase web.

In general, the first additive composition and the second additivecomposition applied to the base web as shown in FIG. 4 may contain thesame ingredients or may contain different ingredients. Alternatively,the additive compositions may contain the same ingredients in differentamounts as desired.

The additive composition is applied to the base web as described abovein a preselected pattern. In one embodiment, for instance, the additivecomposition can be applied to the web in a reticular pattern, such thatthe pattern is interconnected forming a net-like design on the surface.

In an alternative embodiment, however, the additive composition isapplied to the web in a pattern that represents a succession of discreteshapes. Applying the additive composition in discrete shapes, such asdots, provides sufficient strength to the web without covering asubstantial portion of the surface area of the web.

According to the present disclosure, the additive composition is appliedto each side of the paper web so as to cover from about 15% to about 75%of the surface area of the web. More particularly, in most applications,the additive composition will cover from about 20% to about 60% of thesurface area of each side of the web. The total amount of additivecomposition applied to each side of the web can be in the range of fromabout 1% to about 30% by weight, based upon the total weight of the web,such as from about 1% to about 20% by weight, such as from about 2% toabout 10% by weight.

At the above amounts, the additive composition can penetrate the baseweb after being applied in an amount up to about 30% of the totalthickness of the web, depending upon various factors. It has beendiscovered, however, that most of the additive composition primarilyresides on the surface of the web after being applied to the web. Forinstance, in some embodiments, the additive composition penetrates theweb less than 5%, such as less than 3%, such as less than 1% of thethickness of the web.

Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment of a pattern that can be used forapplying an additive composition to a paper web in accordance with thepresent disclosure is shown. As illustrated, the pattern shown in FIG. 5represents a succession of discrete dots 120. In one embodiment, forinstance, the dots can be spaced so that there are approximately fromabout 25 to about 35 dots per inch in the machine direction or thecross-machine direction. The dots can have a diameter, for example, offrom about 0.01 inches to about 0.03 inches. In one particularembodiment, the dots can have a diameter of about 0.02 inches and can bepresent in the pattern so that approximately 28 dots per inch extend ineither the machine direction or the cross-machine direction. In thisembodiment, the dots can cover from about 20% to about 30% of thesurface area of one side of the paper web and, more particularly, cancover about 25% of the surface area of the web.

Besides dots, various other discrete shapes can also be used. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 7, a pattern is illustrated in which thepattern is made up of discrete shapes that are each comprised of threeelongated hexagons. In one embodiment, the hexagons can be about 0.02inches long and can have a width of about 0.006 inches. Approximately 35to 40 hexagons per inch can be spaced in the machine direction and thecross-machine direction. When using hexagons as shown in FIG. 7, thepattern can cover from about 40% to about 60% of the surface area of oneside of the web, and more particularly can cover about 50% of thesurface area of the web.

Referring to FIG. 6, another embodiment of a pattern for applying anadditive composition to a paper web is shown. In this embodiment, thepattern is a reticulated grid. More specifically, the reticulatedpattern is in the shape of diamonds. When used, a reticulated patternmay provide more strength to the web in comparison to patterns that aremade up on a succession of discrete shapes.

The process that is used to apply the additive composition to the baseweb in accordance with the present disclosure can vary. For example,various printing methods can be used to print the additive compositiononto the base sheet depending upon the particular application. Suchprinting methods can include direct gravure printing using two separategravures for each side, offset gravure printing using duplex printing(both sides printed simultaneously) or station-to-station printing(consecutive printing of each side in one pass). In another embodiment,a combination of offset and direct gravure printing can be used. Instill another embodiment, flexographic printing using either duplex orstation-to-station printing can also be utilized to apply the additivecomposition.

According to the process of the current disclosure, numerous anddifferent wiping products can be formed. For instance, the wipingproducts may be single-ply wiper products. The products can be, forinstance, facial tissues, bath tissues, paper towels, napkins,industrial wipers, and the like. As stated above, the basis weight canrange anywhere from about 10 gsm to about 110 gsm.

The wiping product may have any bulk; for example, the wiping productmay have a bulk of less than 3 cc/g; or in the alternative, the wipingproduct may have a bulk in the range of equal or greater than 3 cc/g;such as 3 cc/g to 20 cc/g, such as from about 5 cc/g to 15 cc/g. In oneembodiment, tissue webs made according to the present disclosure can beincorporated into multiple-ply products. For instance, in oneembodiment, a base web made according to the present disclosure can beattached to one or more other tissue webs for forming a wiping producthaving desired characteristics. The other webs laminated to the base webof the present disclosure can be, for instance, a wet-creped web, acalendered web, an embossed web, a through-air dried web, a crepedthrough-air dried web, an uncreped through-air dried web, ahydroentangled web, a coform web, an airlaid web, and the like.

In one embodiment, when incorporating a base web made according to thepresent disclosure into a multiple-ply product, it may be desirable toonly apply the additive composition to one side of the base web and tothereafter crepe the treated side of the web. The creped side of the webis then used to form an exterior surface of a multiple ply product. Theuntreated and uncreped side of the web, on the other hand, is attachedby any suitable means to one or more plies.

For example, referring to FIG. 8, one embodiment of a process forapplying the additive composition to only one side of a base web inaccordance with the present disclosure is shown. The process illustratedin FIG. 8 is similar to the process shown in FIG. 4. In this regard,like reference numerals have been used to indicate similar elements.

As shown, a web 80 is advanced to an additive composition applicationstation generally 98. Station 98 includes a transfer roll 100 in contactwith a rotogravure roll 102, which is in communication with a reservoir104 containing an additive composition 106. At station 98, the additivecomposition 106 is applied to one side of the web 80 in a preselectedpattern.

Once the additive composition is applied, web 80 is adhered to a crepingroll 108 by a press roll 110. Web 80 is carried on the surface of thecreping drum 108 for a distance and then removed therefrom by the actionof a creping blade 112. The creping blade 112 performs a controlledpattern creping operation on the treated side of the web.

From the creping drum 108, the base web 80 is fed through a dryingstation 114 which dries and/or cures the additive composition 106. Theweb 80 is then wound into a roll 116 for use in forming multiple plyproducts or a single ply product.

Referring to FIG. 36, another embodiment of a process for applying theadditive composition to only one side of a base web in accordance withthe present disclosure is shown. Like reference numerals have been usedto indicate similar elements.

The process illustrated in FIG. 36 is similar to the process illustratedin FIG. 8. In the process shown in FIG. 36, however, the additivecomposition is indirectly applied to the base web 80 by an offsetprinting apparatus in an offset printing arrangement.

For instance, as shown in FIG. 36, the additive composition 106 is firsttransferred to a first print roll 102. From the print roll 102, theadditive composition is then transferred to an analog roll 103 prior tobeing applied to the base web 80. From the analog roll 103, the additivecomposition is pressed onto the base web 80 through the assistance of arubber backing roll 100.

Similar to FIG. 8, once the additive composition is applied to the baseweb 80, the web is then adhered to a heated creping drum 108 and crepedfrom the drum using a creping blade 112 prior to being wound into a roll116.

Referring to FIG. 37, still another embodiment of a process for applyingthe additive composition to only one side of the base web in accordancewith the present disclosure is illustrated. As shown, in thisembodiment, a formed base web 80 is unwound from a roll 85 and fed intothe process. This process may be considered an off-line process,although the application method may also be installed in-line.

As illustrated in FIG. 37, the dried base web 80 is pressed against adryer drum 108 by a press roll 110. A spray device 109 applies theadditive composition of the present disclosure to the surface of thedryer drum. The additive composition thus not only adheres the base web80 to the surface of the dryer drum 108, but also transfers to the baseweb as the web is creped from the drum using a creping blade 112. Oncecreped from the dryer drum 108, the base web 80 is wound into a roll116.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 37 may be considered a spray crepeprocess. During the process, the dryer drum 108 can be heated totemperatures as described above with respect to the other embodimentsillustrated in the figures.

When only treating one side of the base web 80 with an additivecomposition, in one embodiment, it may be desirable to apply theadditive composition according to a pattern that covers greater thanabout 40% of the surface area of one side of the web. For instance, thepattern may cover from about 40% to about 90% of the surface area of oneside of the web such as from about 40% to about 60%. In one particularexample, for instance, the additive composition can be applied accordingto the pattern shown in FIG. 7.

In one specific embodiment of the present disclosure, a two-ply productis formed from a first paper web and a second paper web in which bothpaper webs are generally made according to the process shown in FIG. 8.For instance, a first paper web made according to the present disclosurecan be attached to a second paper web made according to the presentdisclosure in a manner such that the creped sides of the webs form theexterior surfaces of the resulting product. The creped surfaces aregenerally softer and smoother creating a two-ply product having improvedoverall characteristics.

The manner in which the first paper web is laminated to the second paperweb may vary depending upon the particular application and desiredcharacteristics. In some applications, the alpha-olefin interpolymer ofthe present disclosure may serve as the ply-bonding agent. In otherapplications, a binder material, such as an adhesive or binder fibers,is applied to one or both webs to join the webs together. The adhesivecan be, for instance, a latex adhesive, a starch-based adhesive, anacetate such as an ethylene-vinyl acetate adhesive, a polyvinyl alcoholadhesive, and the like. It should be understood, however, that otherbinder materials, such as thermoplastic films and fibers can also beused to join the webs. The binder material may be spread evenly over thesurfaces of the web in order to securely attach the webs together or maybe applied at selected locations.

In addition to wet lay processes as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it should beunderstood that various other base sheets may be treated in accordancewith the present disclosure. For instance, other base sheets that may betreated in accordance with the present disclosure include airlaid webs,coform webs, and hydroentangled webs. When treating these types of basesheets, the additive composition is generally topically applied to thebase sheets. For instance, the additive composition can be sprayed orprinted onto the surface of the base sheet.

Airlaid webs are formed in an air forming process in which a fibrousnonwoven layer is created. In the airlaying process, bundles of smallfibers having typical lengths ranging from about 3 to about 52millimeters (mm) are separated and entrained in an air supply and thendeposited onto a forming screen, usually with the assistance of a vacuumsupply. The randomly deposited fibers then are bonded to one anotherusing, for example, hot air or a spray adhesive. The production ofairlaid nonwoven composites is well defined in the literature anddocumented in the art. Examples include the DanWeb process as describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,810 to Laursen et al. and assigned to Scan Web ofNorth America Inc, the Kroyer process as described in U.S. Pat. No.4,494,278 to Kroyer et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,171 to Soerensenassigned to Niro Separation a/s, the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,448to Appel et al assigned to Kimberly-Clark Corporation, or other similarmethods.

Other materials containing cellulosic fibers include coform webs andhydroentangled webs. In the coform process, at least one meltblowndiehead is arranged near a chute through which other materials are addedto a meltblown web while it is forming. Such other materials may benatural fibers, superabsorbent particles, natural polymer fibers (forexample, rayon) and/or synthetic polymer fibers (for example,polypropylene or polyester), for example, where the fibers may be ofstaple length.

Coform processes are shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,464to Lau and U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,324 to Anderson et al., which areincorporated herein by reference. Webs produced by the coform processare generally referred to as coform materials. More particularly, oneprocess for producing coform nonwoven webs involves extruding a moltenpolymeric material through a die head into fine streams and attenuatingthe streams by converging flows of high velocity, heated gas (usuallyair) supplied from nozzles to break the polymer streams intodiscontinuous microfibers of small diameter. The die head, for instance,can include at least one straight row of extrusion apertures. Ingeneral, the microfibers may have an average fiber diameter of up toabout 10 microns. The average diameter of the microfibers can begenerally greater than about 1 micron, such as from about 2 microns toabout 5 microns. While the microfibers are predominantly discontinuous,they generally have a length exceeding that normally associated withstaple fibers.

In order to combine the molten polymer fibers with another material,such as pulp fibers, a primary gas stream is merged with a secondary gasstream containing the individualized wood pulp fibers. Thus, the pulpfibers become integrated with the polymer fibers in a single step. Thewood pulp fibers can have a length of from about 0.5 millimeters toabout 10 millimeters. The integrated air stream is then directed onto aforming surface to air form the nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric, ifdesired, may be passed into the nip of a pair of vacuum rolls in orderto further integrate the two different materials.

Natural fibers that may be combined with the meltblown fibers includewool, cotton, flax, hemp and wood pulp. Wood pulps include standardsoftwood fluffing grade such as CR-1654 (US Alliance Pulp Mills, Coosa,Ala.). Pulp may be modified in order to enhance the inherentcharacteristics of the fibers and their processability. Curl may beimparted to the fibers by methods including chemical treatment ormechanical twisting. Curl is typically imparted before crosslinking orstiffening. Pulps may be stiffened by the use of crosslinking agentssuch as formaldehyde or its derivatives, glutaraldehyde,epichlorohydrin, methylolated compounds such as urea or ureaderivatives, dialdehydes such as maleic anhydride, non-methylolated ureaderivatives, citric acid or other polycarboxylic acids. Pulp may also bestiffened by the use of heat or caustic treatments such asmercerization. Examples of these types of fibers include NHB416 which isa chemically crosslinked southern softwood pulp fibers which enhanceswet modulus, available from the Weyerhaeuser Corporation of Tacoma,Wash. Other useful pulps are debonded pulp (NF405) and non-debonded pulp(NB416) also from Weyerhaeuser. HPZ3 from Buckeye Technologies, Inc ofMemphis, Tenn., has a chemical treatment that sets in a curl and twist,in addition to imparting added dry and wet stiffness and resilience tothe fiber. Another suitable pulp is Buckeye HP2 pulp and still anotheris IP Supersoft from International Paper Corporation. Suitable rayonfibers are 1.5 denier Merge 18453 fibers from Acordis Cellulose FibersIncorporated of Axis, Ala.

When containing cellulosic materials such as pulp fibers, a coformmaterial may contain the cellulosic material in an amount from about 10%by weight to about 80% by weight, such as from about 10% by weight toabout 49% by weight. For example, in one embodiment, a coform materialmay be produced containing pulp fibers in an amount from about 10% byweight to about 45% by weight.

In addition to coform webs, hydroentangled webs can also containsynthetic and pulp fibers. Hydroentangled webs refer to webs that havebeen subjected to columnar jets of a fluid that cause the fibers in theweb to entangle. Hydroentangling a web typically increases the strengthof the web. In one embodiment, pulp fibers can be hydroentangled into acontinuous filament material, such as a spunbond web. The hydroentangledresulting nonwoven composite may contain pulp fibers in an amount fromabout 10% to about 80% by weight, such as in an amount in the range of10% to 45% by weight. Commercially available hydroentangled compositewebs as described above are commercially available from theKimberly-Clark Corporation under the name HYDROKNIT. Hydraulicentangling is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,202 toEverhart, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In addition to base sheets containing cellulosic fibers, the presentdisclosure is also directed to applying additive compositions to basesheets made entirely from synthetic fibers. For instance, in oneembodiment, the base sheet may comprise a nonwoven bonded carded web, ameltblown web or a spunbond web.

Meltblown fibers are formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic materialthrough a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as moltenfibers into converging high velocity gas (e.g. air) streams thatattenuate the fibers of molten thermoplastic material to reduce theirdiameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblownfibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited ona collecting surface to form a web of randomly disbursed meltblownfibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.3,849,241 to Butin, et al. Generally speaking, meltblown fibers may bemicrofibers that may be continuous or discontinuous, are generallysmaller than 10 microns in diameter, and are generally tacky whendeposited onto a collecting surface.

Spunbonded fibers are small diameter substantially continuous fibersthat are formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material from aplurality of fine, usually circular, capillaries of a spinnerette withthe diameter of the extruded fibers then being rapidly reduced as by,for example, eductive drawing and/or other well-known spunbondingmechanisms. The production of spun-bonded nonwoven webs is described andillustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel, et al.U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 toMatsuki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,992 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No.3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, U.S. Pat. No.3,502,538 to Levy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo, et al., and U.S.Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike, et al. Spunbond fibers are generally nottacky when they are deposited onto a collecting surface. Spunbond fiberscan sometimes have diameters less than about 40 microns, and are oftenbetween about 5 to about 20 microns.

In still another embodiment, the base sheet might comprise a laminate.For instance, the base sheet may comprise a spunbond/meltblown/spunbondlaminate.

In addition to nonwoven materials, the base sheet may also comprise awoven fabric or a knitted fabric. In general, any suitable wiper may betreated in accordance with the present disclosure. For instance, theadditive composition may be applied to wiping products made from a wovenor knitted polyester fabric for enhancing the ability of the product tocapture and retain dirt particles.

In addition to dry wiping products, the additive composition may alsoenhance the cleaning abilities of premoistened wiping products.Premoistened products are marketed impregnated with a wiping solution.The wiping solution can comprise any suitable solution that will notdegrade the basesheet.

For example, when used as a baby wipe, for instance, the wiping solutionmay contain water, one or more surfactants, and/or an emollient. Thesolution may also contain, for instance, one or more glycols. Examplesof glycols include propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol. Variousother ingredients may also be incorporated into the wiping solution suchas fragrances, aloe, and the like. The wiping solution may bealcohol-free or may contain an alcohol.

When used to clean adjacent surfaces, for instance, the wiping solutionmay contain one or more alcohols combined with water. The alcohol maybe, for instance, an aliphatic alcohol having from about 1 to about 6carbon atoms. By way of example, the alcohol may be methanol, ethanol,propanol, isopropanol, butanol, t-butanol, 2-butanol, pentanol,2-pentanol, hexanol, 2,3-dimethyl-1-butanol, and the like, includingmixtures of two or more alcohols.

In general, the wiping solution can contain water in an amount less thanabout 50% by weight. For instance, in one embodiment, the solution maycontain alcohol in an amount greater than about 60% by weight, such asfrom about 60% by weight to about 80% by weight. Greater amounts ofalcohol, however, may be used.

The wiping solution may also contain various other additives. Such otheradditives include disinfectants, antiseptics, emollients, skinconditioners, anti-microbial agents such as sterilants, sporicides,germicides, bactericides, fungicides, virucides, protozoacides,algicides, bacteriostats, fungistats, virustats, sanitizers, andantibiotics, fragrances, anti-drying agents, and the like.

Example of anti-drying agents include glycols and glycerides. Examplesof anti-microbial agents, on the other hand, include quaternary ammoniumcompounds, such as quaternary ammonium halide compounds. In someembodiments, quaternary ammonium halide compounds having the followingformula are utilized:

wherein,

R is a C₈-C₁₈ alkyl group; and

A is a halogen atom, such as chlorine, bromine, fluorine, and the like.

One commercially available example of an antimicrobial agent thatincludes such a quaternary ammonium compound is available under thetrade name BARDAC® 208M from Lonza, Inc., Fairlawn, N.J. Specifically,BARDAC® 208M contains a blend of alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammoniumchlorides. Other commercially available examples of suitable quaternaryammonium compounds are believed to include BARDAC® 2050 and BARDAC® 2080(based on dialkyl(C₈-C₁₀)dimethyl ammonium chloride); BARDAC® 2250 andBARDAC® 2280 (didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride); BARDAC® LF andBARDAC® LF 80 (based on dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride); BARQUAT®MB-50 and BARQUAT® MB-80 (based on alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammoniumchloride); BARQUAT® MX-50 and BARQUAT® MX-80 (based on alkyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride); BARQUAT® OJ-50 and BARQUAT® OJ-80 (based onalkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride); BARQUAT® 4250, BARQUAT® 4280,BARQUAT® 4250Z, and BARQUAT® 4280Z (based on alkyl dimethyl benzylammonium chloride and/or alkyl dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium chloride);and BARQUAT® MS-100 (based on myristyl dimethyl benzyl ammoniumchloride), which are available from Lonza, Inc., Fairlawn, N.J.

Other anti-microbial agents that may be used in the present disclosureinclude halogenated diphenyl ethers like2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxy-diphenyl ether (Triclosan® or TCS) or2,2′-dihydroxy-5,5′-dibromo-diphenyl ether; phenolic compounds likephenoxyethanol, phenoxy propanol, phenoxyisopropanol,para-chloro-meta-xylenol (PCMX), etc.; bisphenolic compounds like2,2′-methylene bis (4-chlorophenol), 2,2′-methylene bis(3,4,6-trichlorophenol), 2,2′-methylene bis (4-chloro-6-bromophenol),bis (2-hydroxy-3,5-dichlorophenyl) sulphide, and bis(2-hydroxy-5-chlorobenzyl)sulphide; halogenated carbanilides (e.g.,3,4,4′-trichlorocarbanilides (Triclocarban® or TCC); benzyl alcohols;chlorhexidine; chlorhexidine gluconate; and chlorhexidine hydrochloride.

The wiping solution impregnated into the basesheet may also contain oneor more surfactants. Surfactants can provide a number of benefits to theresulting wiper. For instance, surfactants can increase the wettabilityof the wiping product, can serve as emollients, can improve the abilityof the wiping product to clean surfaces, and can also serve to stabilizethe wiping solution itself. In general, any suitable nonionic, anionic,cationic and amphoteric surfactant may be incorporated into the wipingsolution.

In some embodiments, the wiping solution can also contain one or morepreservatives. Suitable preservatives include, for instance, Kathon CG®,which is a mixture of methylchloroisothiazolinone andmethylisothiazolinone available from Rohm & Haas; Mackstat H 66(available from Mcintyre Group, Chicago, Ill.); DMDM hydantoin (e.g.,Glydant Plus, Lonza, Inc., Fair Lawn, N.J.); iodopropynylbutylcarbamate; benzoic esters (parabens), such as methylparaben,propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isopropylparaben,isobutylparaben, benzylparaben, sodium methylparaben, and sodiumpropylparaben; 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol; benzoic acid;amidazolidinyl urea; diazolidinyl urea; and the like. Other suitablepreservatives include those sold by Sutton Labs, such as “Germall 115”(amidazolidinyl urea), “Germall II” (diazolidinyl urea), and “GermallPlus” (diazolidinyl urea and iodopropynyl butylcarbonate).

In general, any of the above additives may be present in the wipingsolution in an amount less than about 20% by weight, such as less thanabout 5% by weight. For instance, many of the additives may be presentin an amount from about 0.001% to about 2% by weight.

Once the basesheet is impregnated with a wiping solution, the wipingproducts may be packaged as desired. For instance, the wiping productmay be packaged in a resealable container. Some examples of suitablecontainers include rigid tubs, film pouches, etc. One particular exampleof a suitable container for holding the wipers is a rigid, cylindricaltub (e.g., made from polyethylene) that is fitted with a resealableair-tight lid on the top portion of the container. The lid has a hingedcap initially covering an opening positioned beneath the cap. Theopening allows for the passage of wipers from the interior of the sealedcontainer whereby individual wipers can be removed by grasping thewiper.

In another embodiment, the wiper may be held in a liquid impermeablepouch that has an ovular shaped opening. The opening may be covered by atab that is attached to the pouch by a pressure sensitive adhesive. Thetab may be opened to remove a wiper and then resealed against the pouch.

The pre-saturated wipers may be cut into individual sheets that arefolded and stacked together. In an alternative embodiment, the wipingproduct may be spirally wound to form a roll. In this embodiment, theindividual wipers may be separated by a perforation.

As described above, the additive composition can be applied to one sideof a wiping product or can be applied to both sides of the wipingproduct. In one embodiment, the amount the additive composition isapplied to each side can differ. For instance, greater amounts of theadditive composition can be applied to a first side of a base sheet,while lesser amounts may be applied to the opposite side. In thismanner, a wiping product can be produced that has different functions oneach side. The side containing greater amounts of the additivecomposition may be used for heavier cleaning while the other sidecontaining lesser amounts or being untreated can be used for shining orpolishing an object.

Wiping products made according to the present disclosure can be used innumerous applications. For instance, dry wiping products may be usedalong with aqueous solutions such as cleaning solutions or cleaningaerosols. The wipers may be used for window cleaning, general purposecleaning, makeup removal, skin cleansing, spa treatments, and the like.The wipers may also be used to polish furniture or can be used as anysuitable type of health and beauty aid.

In one embodiment, base sheets made according to the present disclosuremay be attached to a cleaning instrument for cleaning adjacent surfaces.For instance, in one embodiment, the basesheet comprises a disposablesheet that is to be used in conjunction with a mop head. The cleaninginstrument can then be used to clean or polish floors. In oneembodiment, a base sheet made in accordance with the present disclosurecan be fastened around a sponge mop to pick up heavy dirt first. Thebase sheet can then be discarded and the mop used to clean the floorwith a cleaning solution.

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to thefollowing examples.

Example 1

To illustrate the properties of tissue products made in accordance withthe present disclosure, various tissue samples were treated with anadditive composition and subjected to standardized tests. For purposesof comparison, an untreated tissue sample, a tissue sample treated witha silicone composition, and a tissue sample treated with an ethylenevinyl acetate binder were also tested.

More particularly, the tissue samples comprised tissue sheets containingthree plies. Each ply of the three ply tissue samples was formed in aprocess similar to that shown in FIG. 3. Each ply had a basis weight ofabout 13.5 gsm. More specifically, each ply was made from a stratifiedfiber furnish containing a center layer of fibers positioned between twoouter layers of fibers. The outer layers of each ply containedeucalyptus kraft pulp, obtained from Aracruz with offices in Miami,Fla., USA. Each of the two outer layers was approximately 33% of thetotal fiber weight of the sheet. The center layer, which wasapproximately 34% of the total fiber weight of the sheet, was comprisedof 100% of northern softwood kraft pulp, obtained from Neenah Paper Inc.with offices in Alpharetta, Ga., USA. The three plies were attachedtogether such that the tissue sides pressed on the dryer faced theoutside surfaces of the 3-ply tissue sample.

The 3-ply tissue sheets were coated with additive compositions madeaccording to the present disclosure. A second set of samples were coatedwith a silicone composition, while a third set of samples were coatedwith an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.

The tissue sheets were coated with the above compositions using arotogravure printer. The base web was fed into the rubber-rubber nip ofthe rotogravure printer to apply the above compositions to both sides ofthe web. The gravure rolls were electronically engraved, chrome overcopper rolls supplied by Specialty Systems, Inc., Louisville, Ky. Therolls had a line screen of 200 cells per lineal inch and a volume of 8.0Billion Cubic Microns (BCM) per square inch of roll surface. Typicalcell dimensions for this roll were 140 microns in width and 33 micronsin depth using a 130 degree engraving stylus. The rubber backing offsetapplicator rolls were a 75 shore A durometer cast polyurethane suppliedby Amerimay Roller company, Union Grove, Wis. The process was set up toa condition having 0.375 inch interference between the gravure rolls andthe rubber backing rolls and 0.003 inch clearance between the facingrubber backing rolls. The simultaneous offset/offset gravure printer wasrun at a speed of 150 feet per minute using gravure roll speedadjustment (differential) to meter the above compositions to obtain thedesired addition rate. The process yielded an add-on level of 6.0 weightpercent total add-on based on the weight of the tissue (3.0% each side).

For samples treated with additive compositions made in accordance withthe present disclosure, the following table provides the components ofthe additive composition for each sample. In the table below, AFFINITY™EG8200 plastomer is an alpha-olefin interpolymer comprising an ethyleneand octene copolymer that was obtained from The Dow Chemical Company ofMidland, Mich., U.S.A. PRIMACOR™ 5980i copolymer is an ethylene-acrylicacid copolymer also obtained from The Dow Chemical Company. Theethylene-acrylic acid copolymer can serve not only as a thermoplasticpolymer but also as a dispersing agent. INDUSTRENE® 106 comprises oleicacid, which is marketed by Chemtura Corporation, Middlebury, Conn. Thepolymer designated as “PBPE” is an experimental propylene-basedplastomer or elastomer (“PBPE”) having a density of 0.867 grams/cm³ asmeasured by ASTM D792, a melt flow rate of 25 g/10 min. at 230° C. at2.16 kg as measured by ASTM D1238, and an ethylene content of 12% byweight of the PBPE. These PBPE materials are taught in WO03/040442 andU.S. application No. 60/709,688 (filed Aug. 19, 2005), each of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. AFFINITY™ PL1280plastomer is an alpha-olefin intepolymer comprising an ethylene andoctene copolymer that was also obtained from The Dow Chemical Company.UNICID® 350 dispersing agent is a linear, primary carboxylicacid-functionalized surfactant with the hydrophobe comprising an average26-carbon chain obtained from Baker-Petrolite Inc., Sugar Land, Tex.,U.S.A. AEROSOL® OT-100 dispersing agent is a dioctyl sodiumsulfosuccinate obtained from Cytec Industries, Inc., of West Paterson,N.J., U.S.A. PRIMACOR™ 5980i copolymer contains 20.5% by weight acrylicacid and has a melt flow rate of 13.75 g/10 min at 125° C. and 2.16 kgas measured by ASTM D1238. AFFINITY™ EG8200G plastomer has a density of0.87 g/cc as measured by ASTM D792 and has a melt flow rate of 5 g/10min at 190° C. and 2.16 kg as measured by ASTM D1238. AFFINITY™ PL1280Gplastomer, on the other hand, has a density of 0.90 g/cc as measured byASTM D792 and has a melt flow rate of 6 g/10 min at 190° C. and 2.16 kgas measured by ASTM D1238.

The additive composition in each of the samples also contained DOWICIL™200 antimicrobial obtained from The Dow Chemical Company, which is apreservative with the active composition of 96% cis1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantane chloride (also knownas Quaternium-15).

Sample Polymer Dispersing Agent No. (wt. ratios in parentheses)Dispersing Agent conc. (wt. %) 1 AFFINITY ™ EG8200 Unicid ® 350 3.0 2AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (70/30) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 30.0 3 PBPEUnicid ® 350/AEROSOL ® OT-100  3.0/2.5 4 PBPE/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (70/30)PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 30.0 5 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/AFFINITY ™ PL1280 (80/20)Unicid ® 350/Industrene ® 106  2.0/2.0 6 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/AFFINITY ™PL1280 (50/50) Unicid ® 350/Industrene ® 106  2.0/2.0 7 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (75/25) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 10625.0/3.0 8 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (90/10) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i10.0 9 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (75/25) PRIMACOR ™5980i/Industrene ® 106 25.0/3.0 10 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i(60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 106 40.0/6.0 11 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (75/25) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 10625.0/3.0 12 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (90/10) PRIMACOR ™5980i/Industrene ® 106 10.0/6.0 13 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i(90/10) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 10.0 14 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i(60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 106 40.0/6.0 15 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (75/25) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 10625.0/3.0 16 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (90/10) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i10.0 17 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (75/25) PRIMACOR ™5980i/Industrene ® 106 25.0/3.0 18 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i(90/10) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 106 10.0/6.0 19 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 40.0 20 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 40.0 21 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 10640.0/6.0

Polymer Sample Particle Poly- Solids Viscosity Temp No. size (um)dispersity (wt. %) pH (cp) (° C.) RPM Spindle 1 1.08 1.83 54.7 10.0 8322 50 RV2 2 1.48 2.40 41.0 10.5 338 20 50 RV3 3 0.72 1.42 55.5 10.2 62621.1 50 RV3 4 0.85 2.06 42.8 10.2 322 21.5 50 RV3 5 0.86 1.68 55.2 9.7490 55.0 50 RV3 6 1.08 1.85 52.4 10.9 296 21.7 50 RV3 7 1.86 4.46 50.19.4 538 21.1 50 RV3 8 5.55 2.67 49.3 9.0 <75 21.6 100 RV3 9 1.18 2.4846.1 10.5 270 21.2 50 RV3 10 1.60 1.58 41.1 8.7 368 21.7 50 RV3 11 1.693.68 48.8 9.7 306 22.1 50 RV3 12 1.34 2.24 51.0 10.2 266 21.4 50 RV3 131.16 2.25 46.6 10.5 85 21.5 100 RV3 14 1.01 1.57 32.1 10.3 572 21.7 50RV3 15 1.53 3.50 50.1 9.9 396 22.3 50 RV3 16 9.86 4.14 51.2 8.7 <75 21.550 RV3 17 1.57 3.26 49.8 9.9 436 22.4 50 RV3 18 0.89 1.51 51.1 12.3 34221.5 50 RV3 19 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3 448 22.1 50 RV3 20 1.63 2.23 42.0 8.6178 22.0 100 RV3 21 1.49 1.87 39.0 10.3 210 20.2 50 RV3

For comparative reasons, the following samples were also prepared:

Sample ID Composition Applied to the Sample Non-Inventive Sample No. 1Untreated Non-Inventive Sample No. 2 Product No. Y-14868 EmulsifiedSilicone obtained from G.E. Silicones Non-Inventive Sample No. 3AIRFLEX ® 426 Binder comprising a carboxylated vinyl acetate-ethyleneterpolymer emulsion obtained from Air Products, Inc. Non-InventiveSample No. 4 ELVAX ® 3175 Binder comprising an ethylene vinyl acetatecopolymer obtained from E. I. DuPont de Nemours of Wilmington, Delawarehaving a 28% vinyl acetate content. The ethylene vinyl acetate copolymerwas combined with UNICID 425, which is a carboxylic acid-functionalizedsurfactant with a hydrophobe comprising an average 32-carbon chainobtained from Baker-Petrolite, Inc. of Sugarland, Texas.

The following tests were conducted on the samples:

Tensile Strength, Geometric Mean Tensile Strength (GMT), and GeometricMean Tensile Energy Absorbed (GMTEA):

The tensile test that was performed used tissue samples that wereconditioned at 23° C.±1° C. and 50%±2% relative humidity for a minimumof 4 hours. The 2-ply samples were cut into 3 inch wide strips in themachine direction (MD) and cross-machine direction (CD) using aprecision sample cutter model JDC 15M-10, available from Thwing-AlbertInstruments, a business having offices located in Philadelphia, Pa.,U.S.A.

The gauge length of the tensile frame was set to four inches. Thetensile frame was an Alliance RT/1 frame run with TestWorks 4 software.The tensile frame and the software are available from MTS SystemsCorporation, a business having offices located in Minneapolis, Minn.,U.S.A.

A 3″ strip was then placed in the jaws of the tensile frame andsubjected to a strain applied at a rate of 25.4 cm per minute until thepoint of sample failure. The stress on the tissue strip is monitored asa function of the strain. The calculated outputs included the peak load(grams-force/3″, measured in grams-force), the peak stretch (%,calculated by dividing the elongation of the sample by the originallength of the sample and multiplying by 100%), the % stretch @ 500grams-force, the tensile energy absorption (TEA) at break(grams-force*cm/cm², calculated by integrating or taking the area underthe stress-strain curve up the point of failure where the load falls to30% of its peak value), and the slope A (kilograms-force, measured asthe slope of the stress-strain curve from 57-150 grams-force).

Each tissue code (minimum of five replicates) was tested in the machinedirection (MD) and cross-machine direction (CD). Geometric means of thetensile strength and tensile energy absorption (TEA) were calculated asthe square root of the product of the machine direction (MD) and thecross-machine direction (CD). This yielded an average value that isindependent of testing direction. The samples that were used are shownbelow.

Elastic Modulus (Maximum Slope) and Geometric Mean Modulus (GMM) asMeasures of Sheet Stiffness:

Elastic Modulus (Maximum Slope) E(kg_(f)) is the elastic modulusdetermined in the dry state and is expressed in units of kilograms offorce. Tappi conditioned samples with a width of 3 inches are placed intensile tester jaws with a gauge length (span between jaws) of 4 inches.The jaws move apart at a crosshead speed of 25.4 cm/min and the slope istaken as the least squares fit of the data between stress values of 57grams of force and 150 grams of force. If the sample is too weak tosustain a stress of at least 200 grams of force without failure, anadditional ply is repeatedly added until the multi-ply sample canwithstand at least 200 grams of force without failure. The geometricmean modulus or geometric mean slope was calculated as the square rootof the product of the machine direction (MD) and the cross direction(CD) elastic moduli (maximum slopes), yielding an average value that isindependent of testing direction.

The results of the testing are graphically illustrated in FIGS. 9through 14. As shown by the results, the additive composition of thepresent disclosure improved the geometric mean tensile strength of thesamples and the geometric mean total energy absorbed of the sampleswithout significantly impacting sheet stiffness in comparison to theuntreated sample and the sample treated with the silicone composition.Further, the ratio of geometric mean modulus to geometric mean tensilefor the samples treated with additive compositions made according to thepresent disclosure showed similar characteristics in comparison to thesample treated with the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer binder. It wasnoticed, however, that the sheet blocking characteristics of the samplestreated with the additive compositions were much better in relation tothe sample treated with the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer.

In addition to the results shown in the figures, subjective softnesstesting was also performed on the samples. The perceived softness of thesamples treated with the additive compositions of the present disclosurewere equivalent to the perceived softness of the sample treated with thesilicone composition.

Example 2

In this example, additive compositions made according to the presentdisclosure were printed onto an uncreped through-air dried (UCTAD) baseweb according to a pattern and creped from a creping drum. The additivecomposition was used to adhere the base web to the drum. The sampleswere then tested and compared to an uncreped through-air dried base webthat was not subjected to a print creping process (Non-inventive SampleNo. 1) and to an uncreped through-air dried base web that was subjectedto a similar print crepe process using an ethylene vinyl acetatecopolymer (Non-inventive Sample No. 2).

The uncreped through-air dried base web was formed in a process similarto the process shown in FIG. 2. The basesheet had a basis weight ofabout 50 gsm. More specifically, the basesheet was made from astratified fiber furnish containing a center layer of fibers positionedbetween two outer layers of fibers. Both outer layers of the basesheetcontained 100% northern softwood kraft pulp. One outer layer containedabout 10.0 kilograms (kg)/metric ton (Mton) of dry fiber of a debondingagent (ProSoft® TQ1003 from Hercules, Inc.). The other outer layercontained about 5.0 kilograms (kg)/metric ton (Mton) of dry fiber of adry and wet strength agent (KYMENE® 6500, available from Hercules,Incorporated, located in Wilmington, Del., U.S.A.). Each of the outerlayers comprised about 30% of the total fiber weight of the sheet. Thecenter layer, which comprised about 40% of the total fiber weight of thesheet, was comprised of 100% by weight of northern softwood kraft pulp.The fibers in this layer were also treated with 3.75 kg/Mton of ProSoft®TQ1003 debonder.

Various samples of the basesheet were then subjected to a print crepingprocess. The print creping process is generally illustrated in FIG. 8.The sheet was fed to a gravure printing line where the additivecomposition was printed onto the surface of the sheet. One side of thesheet was printed using direct rotogravure printing. The sheet wasprinted with a 0.020 diameter “dot” pattern as shown in FIG. 5 wherein28 dots per inch were printed on the sheet in both the machine andcross-machine directions. The resulting surface area coverage wasapproximately 25%. The sheet was then pressed against and doctored off arotating drum, causing the sheet temperature to range from about 180° F.to 390° F., such as from about 200° F. to 250° F. Finally the sheet waswound into a roll. Thereafter, the resulting print/print/creped sheetwas converted into rolls of single-ply paper toweling in a conventionalmanner. The finished product had an air dry basis weight ofapproximately 55.8 gsm.

As described above, for comparative purposes, one sample was subjectedto a similar print creping process using AIRFLEX® 426 binder obtainedfrom Air Products, Inc. of Allentown, Pa. AIRFLEX® 426 is a flexible,non-crosslinking carboxylated vinyl acetate-ethylene terpolymeremulsion.

The additive compositions that were applied to the different samples arelisted in the following tables. In the tables, AFFINITY™ EG8200plastomer comprises an interpolymer of an ethylene and octene copolymer,while PRIMACOR™ 5980i comprises an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer.INDUSTRENE® 106 comprises an oleic acid. All three components wereobtained from The Dow Chemical Company.

Sample Polymer Dispersing Agent No (wt. ratios in parentheses)Dispersing Agent conc. (wt. %) 1 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i(60/40) PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 106 40.0/6.0 2 AFFINITY ™EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR 5980i ™/Industrene ® 10640.0/6.0 3 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR 5980i ™40.0 4 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i (60/40) PRIMACOR 5980i ™ 40.0

Polymer Particle Poly- Solids Viscosity Temp Sample No size (um)dispersity (wt. %) pH (cp) (° C.) RPM Spindle 1 1.60 1.58 41.1 8.7 36821.7 50 RV3 2 1.01 1.57 32.1 10.3 572 21.7 50 RV3 3 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3448 22.1 50 RV3 4 1.63 2.23 42.0 8.6 178 22.0 100 RV3

DOWICIL™ 200 antimicrobial, which is a preservative with the activecomposition of 96% cis 1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantanechloride (also known as Quaternium-15) obtained from The Dow ChemicalCompany was also present in each of the additive compositions.

The samples were subjected to the tests described in Example 1. Inaddition, the following test was also conducted on the samples.

Wet/Dry Tensile Test (% in the Cross Machine Direction)

The dry tensile test is described in Example 1, with the gauge length(span between jaws) being 2 inches. Wet tensile strength was measured inthe same manner as dry strength except that the samples were wettedprior to testing. Specifically, in order to wet the sample, a 3″×5″ traywas filled with distilled or deionized water at a temperature of 23±2°C. The water is added to the tray to an approximate one cm depth.

A 3M “Scotch-Brite” general purpose scrubbing pad is then cut todimensions of 2.5″×4″. A piece of masking tape approximately 5″ long isplaced along one of the 4″ edges of the pad. The masking tape is used tohold the scrubbing pad.

The scrubbing pad is then placed into the water with the taped endfacing up. The pad remains in the water at all times until testing iscompleted. The sample to be tested is placed on blotter paper thatconforms to TAPPI T205. The scrubbing pad is removed from the water bathand tapped lightly three times on a screen associated with the wettingpan. The scrubbing pad is then gently placed on the sample parallel tothe width of the sample in the approximate center. The scrubbing pad isheld in place for approximately one second. The sample is thenimmediately put into the tensile tester and tested.

To calculate the wet/dry tensile strength ratio, the wet tensilestrength value was divided by the dry tensile strength value.

The results obtained are illustrated in FIGS. 15-19. As shown in thefigures, the additive compositions improved the geometric mean tensileand the geometric mean total energy absorbed of the tissue sampleswithout significantly impacting sheet stiffness relative to theuntreated sample. It was also observed during the testing that theadditive compositions did not create sheet blocking problems incomparison to the samples treated with the ethylene vinyl acetatecopolymer.

Example 3

In this example, tissue webs were made generally according to theprocess illustrated in FIG. 3. In order to adhere the base web to acreping surface, which in this embodiment comprised a Yankee dryer,additive compositions made according to the present disclosure weresprayed onto the dryer prior to contacting the dryer with the web. Thesamples were then subjected to various standardized tests.

For purposes of comparison, samples were also produced using a standardPVOH/KYMENE crepe package.

In this example, 2-ply tissue products were produced and testedaccording to the same tests described in Examples 1 and 2. The followingprocess was used to produce the samples.

Initially, 80 pounds of air-dried softwood kraft (NSWK) pulp was placedinto a pulper and disintegrated for 15 minutes at 4% consistency at 120degrees F. Then, the NSWK pulp was refined for 15 minutes, transferredto a dump chest and subsequently diluted to approximately 3%consistency. (Note: Refining fibrillates fibers to increase theirbonding potential.) Then, the NSWK pulp was diluted to about 2%consistency and pumped to a machine chest, such that the machine chestcontained 20 air-dried pounds of NSWK at about 0.2-0.3% consistency. Theabove softwood fibers were utilized as the inner strength layer in a3-layer tissue structure.

Two kilograms KYMENE® 6500, available from Hercules, Incorporated,located in Wilmington, Del., U.S.A., per metric ton of wood fiber andtwo kilograms per metric ton of wood fiber PAREZ® 631 NC, available fromLANXESS Corporation., located in Trenton, N.J., U.S.A., was added andallowed to mix with the pulp fibers for at least 10 minutes beforepumping the pulp slurry through the headbox.

Forty pounds of air-dried Aracruz ECF, a eucalyptus hardwood Kraft(EHWK) pulp available from Aracruz, located in Rio de Janeiro, RJ,Brazil, was placed into a pulper and disintegrated for 30 minutes atabout 4% consistency at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The EHWK pulp was thentransferred to a dump chest and subsequently diluted to about 2%consistency.

Next, the EHWK pulp slurry was diluted, divided into two equal amounts,and pumped at about 1% consistency into two separate machine chests,such that each machine chest contained 20 pounds of air-dried EHWK. Thispulp slurry was subsequently diluted to about 0.1% consistency. The twoEHWK pulp fibers represent the two outer layers of the 3-layered tissuestructure.

Two kilograms KYMENE® 6500 per metric ton of wood fiber was added andallowed to mix with the hardwood pulp fibers for at least 10 minutesbefore pumping the pulp slurry through the headbox.

The pulp fibers from all three machine chests were pumped to the headboxat a consistency of about 0.1%. Pulp fibers from each machine chest weresent through separate manifolds in the headbox to create a 3-layeredtissue structure. The fibers were deposited on a forming fabric. Waterwas subsequently removed by vacuum.

The wet sheet, about 10-20% consistency, was transferred to a press feltor press fabric where it was further dewatered. The sheet was thentransferred to a Yankee dryer through a nip via a pressure roll. Theconsistency of the wet sheet after the pressure roll nip (post-pressureroll consistency or PPRC) was approximately 40%. The wet sheet adheredto the Yankee dryer due to an adhesive that is applied to the dryersurface. Spray booms situated underneath the Yankee dryer sprayed eitheran adhesive package, which is a mixture of polyvinylalcohol/KYMENE®/Rezosol 2008M, or an additive composition according tothe present disclosure onto the dryer surface. Rezosol 2008M isavailable from Hercules, Incorporated, located in Wilmington, Del.,U.S.A.

One batch of the typical adhesive package on the continuous handsheetformer (CHF) typically consisted of 25 gallons of water, 5000 mL of a 6%solids polyvinyl alcohol solution, 75 mL of a 12.5% solids KYMENE®solution, and 20 mL of a 7.5% solids Rezosol 2008M solution.

The additive compositions according to the present disclosure varied insolids content from 2.5% to 10%.

The sheet was dried to about 95% consistency as it traveled on theYankee dryer and to the creping blade. The creping blade subsequentlyscraped the tissue sheet and small amounts of dryer coating off theYankee dryer. The creped tissue basesheet was then wound onto a 3″ coreinto soft rolls for converting. Two rolls of the creped tissue were thenrewound and plied together so that both creped sides were on the outsideof the 2-ply structure. Mechanical crimping on the edges of thestructure held the plies together. The plied sheet was then slit on theedges to a standard width of approximately 8.5 inches and folded. Tissuesamples were conditioned and tested.

The additive compositions of the present disclosure that were applied tothe samples and tested in this example are as follows:

Sample Polymer Dispersing Agent % No. (wt. ratios in parentheses)Dispersing Agent conc. (wt. %) Solids 1 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™5980i PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 106 40.0/6.0 2.5 (60/40) 2AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i PRIMACOR ™ 5980i 40.0 2.5 (60/40) 3AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i PRIMACOR ™ 5980i/Industrene ® 10640.0/6.0 5 (60/40) 4 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i PRIMACOR ™ 5980i40.0 5 (60/40) 5 AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5980i PRIMACOR ™5980i/Industrene ® 106 40.0/6.0 10 (60/40)

Polymer Particle Poly- Solids Viscosity Temp Sample No size (um)dispersity (wt. %) pH (cp) (° C.) RPM Spindle 1 1.01 1.57 32.1 10.3 57221.7 50 RV3 2 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3 448 22.1 50 RV3 3 1.01 1.57 32.1 10.3572 21.7 50 RV3 4 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3 448 22.1 50 RV3 5 1.01 1.57 32.110.3 572 21.7 50 RV3

DOWICIL™ 200 antimicrobial, which is a preservative with the activecomposition of 96% cis 1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantanechloride (also known as Quaternium-15) obtained from The Dow ChemicalCompany, was also present in each of the additive compositions.

As shown above, the percent solids in solution for the differentadditive compositions was varied. Varying the solids content in solutionalso varies the amount of solids incorporated into the base web. Forinstance, at 2.5% solution solids, it is estimated that from about 35kg/MT to about 60 kg/MT solids is incorporated into the tissue web. At5% solution solids, it is estimated that from about 70 kg/MT to about130 kg/MT solids is incorporated into the tissue web. At 10% solutionsolids, it is estimated that from about 140 kg/MT to about 260 kg/MTsolids is incorporated into the tissue web.

The results of this example are illustrated in FIGS. 20-24. As shown inFIG. 20, for instance, the geometric mean tensile strength of thesamples made according to the present disclosure were greater than thenon-inventive sample treated with the conventional bonding material.Similar results were also obtained for the geometric mean total energyabsorbed.

In addition to testing the properties of the samples, some of thesamples were also photographed. For instance, referring to FIGS. 25A,25B, 25C and 25D, four of the samples are shown at 500 timesmagnification. In particular, FIG. 25A represents a photograph of thenon-inventive sample, FIG. 25B is a photograph of Sample No. 1, FIG. 25Cis a photograph of Sample No. 3, and FIG. 25D is a photograph of SampleNo. 5. As shown, the additive composition of the present disclosuretends to form a discontinuous film over the surface of the tissue web.Further, the greater the solution solids, the greater the amount of filmformation. These figures indicate that the additive compositiongenerally remains on the surface of the tissue web.

Referring to FIG. 26, a photograph of the cross section of the samesample illustrated in FIG. 25D is shown. As can be seen in thephotograph, even at 10% solution solids, most of the additivecomposition remains on the surface of the tissue web. In this regard,the additive composition penetrates the web in an amount less than about25% of the thickness of the web, such as less than about 15% of thethickness of the web, such as less than about 5% of the thickness of theweb.

In this manner, it is believed that the additive composition provides asignificant amount of strength to the tissue web. Further, because thefilm is discontinuous, the wicking properties of the web are notsubstantially adversely affected. Of particular advantage, these resultsare obtained without also a substantial increase in stiffness of thebase web and without a substantial decrease in the perceived softness.

Example 4

In this example, tissue webs made according to the present disclosurewere compared to commercially available products. The samples weresubjected to various tests. In particular, the samples were subjected toa “Stick-Slip Parameter Test” which measures the perceived softness ofthe product by measuring the spacial and temporal variation of a dragforce as skin simulant is dragged over the surface of the sample.

More particularly, the following tests were performed in this example.

Stick-Slip Test

Stick-slip occurs when the static coefficient of friction (“COF”) issignificantly higher than the kinetic COF. A sled pulled over a surfaceby a string will not move until the force in the string is high enoughto overcome the static COF times the normal load. However, as soon asthe sled starts to move the static COF gives way to the lower kineticCOF, so the pulling force in the string is unbalanced and the sledaccelerates until the tension in the string is released and the sledstops (sticks). The tension then builds again until it is high enough toovercome the static COF, and so on. The frequency and amplitude of theoscillations depend upon the difference between the static COF and thekinetic COF, but also upon the length and stiffness of the string (astiff, short string will let the force drop down almost immediately whenthe static COF is overcome so that the sled jerks forward only a smalldistance), and upon the speed of travel. Higher speeds tend to reducestick-slip behavior.

Static COF is higher than kinetic COF because two surfaces in contactunder a load tend to creep and comply with each other and increase thecontact area between them. COF is proportional to contact area so moretime in contact gives a higher COF. This helps explain why higher speedsgive less stick-slip: there is less time after each slip event for thesurfaces to comply and for the static COF to rise. For many materialsthe COF decreases with higher speed sliding because of this reduced timefor compliance. However, some materials (typically soft or lubricatedsurfaces) actually show an increase in COF with increasing speed becausethe surfaces in contact tend to flow either plastically orviscoelastically and dissipate energy at a rate proportional to the rateat which they are sheared. Materials which have increasing COF withvelocity do not show stick-slip because it would take more force to makethe sled jerk forward than to continue at a constant slower rate. Suchmaterials also have a static COF equal to their kinetic COF. Therefore,measuring the slope of the COF versus velocity curve is a good means ofpredicting whether a material is likely to show stick-slip: morenegative slopes will stick-slip easily, while more positive slopes willnot stick-slip even at very low velocities of sliding.

According to the Stick-Slip test, the variation in COF with velocity ofsliding is measured using an Alliance RT/1 tensile frame equipped withMTS TestWorks 4 software. A diagram of part of the testing apparatus isshown in FIG. 27. As illustrated, a plate is fixed to the lower part ofthe frame, and a tissue sheet (the sample) is clamped to this plate. Analuminum sled with a 1.5″ by 1.5″ flat surface with a ½″ radius on theleading and trailing edges is attached to the upper (moving part) of theframe by means of a slender fishing line (30 lb, Stren clearmonofilament from Remington Arms Inc, Madison, N.C.) lead though anearly frictionless pulley up to a 50 N load cell. A 50.8 mm wide sheetof collagen film is clamped flat to the underside of the sled by meansof 32 mm binder clips on the front and back of the sled. The total massof the sled, film and clips is 81.1 g. The film is larger than the sledso that it fully covers the contacting surfaces. The collagen film maybe obtained from NATURIN GmbH, Weinhein, Germany, under the designationof COFFI (Collagen Food Film), having a basis weight of 28 gsm. Anothersuitable film may be obtained from Viscofan USA Inc, 50 County Court,Montgomery Ala. 36105. The films are embossed with a small dot pattern.The flatter side of the film (with the dots dimpled down) should befacing down toward the tissue on the sled to maximize contact areabetween the tissue and collagen. The samples and the collagen filmshould be conditioned at 72 F and 50% RH for at least 6 hours prior totesting.

The tensile frame is programmed to drag the sled at a constant velocity(V) for a distance of 1 cm while the drag force is measured at afrequency of 100 hz. The average drag force measured between 0.2 cm and0.9 cm is calculated, and kinetic COF is calculated as:

$\begin{matrix}{{COF}_{V} = \frac{f}{81.1}} & (1)\end{matrix}$Where f is the average drag force in grams, and 81.1 g is the mass ofthe sled, clips and film.

For each sample the COF is measured at 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 cm/min. Anew piece of collagen film is used for each sample.

The COF varies logarithmically with velocity, so that the data isdescribed by the expression:COF=a+SSP ln(V)Where a is the best fit COF at 1 cm/min and SSP is the Stick-SlipParameter, showing how the COF varies with velocity. A higher value ofSSP indicates a more lotiony, less prone to stick-slip sheet. SSP ismeasured for four tissue sheet samples for each code and the average isreported.Hercules Size Test (HST)

The “Hercules Size Test” (HST) is a test that generally measures howlong it takes for a liquid to travel through a tissue sheet. Herculessize testing was done in general accordance with TAPPI method T 530PM-89, Size Test for Paper with Ink Resistance. Hercules Size Test datawas collected on a Model HST tester using white and green calibrationtiles and the black disk provided by the manufacturer. A 2% NaptholGreen N dye diluted with distilled water to 1% was used as the dye. Allmaterials are available from Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Del.

All specimens were conditioned for at least 4 hours at 23±1° C. and50±2% relative humidity prior to testing. The test is sensitive to dyesolution temperature so the dye solution should also be equilibrated tothe controlled condition temperature for a minimum of 4 hours beforetesting.

Six (6) tissue sheets as commercially sold (18 plies for a 3-ply tissueproduct, 12 plies for a two-ply product, 6 plies for a single plyproduct, etc.) form the specimen for testing. Specimens are cut to anapproximate dimension of 2.5×2.5 inches. The instrument is standardizedwith white and green calibration tiles per the manufacturer'sdirections. The specimen (12 plies for a 2-ply tissue product) is placedin the sample holder with the outer surface of the plies facing outward.The specimen is then clamped into the specimen holder. The specimenholder is then positioned in the retaining ring on top of the opticalhousing. Using the black disk, the instrument zero is calibrated. Theblack disk is removed and 10±0.5 milliliters of dye solution isdispensed into the retaining ring and the timer started while placingthe black disk back over the specimen. The test time in seconds (sec.)is recorded from the instrument.

Extraction Method for Determining Additive Content in Tissue

One method for measuring the amount of additive composition in a tissuesample is removal of the additive composition in a suitable solvent. Anysuitable solvent may be selected, provided that it can dissolve at leasta majority of the additive present in the tissue. One suitable solventis Xylene.

To begin, a tissue sample containing the additive composition (3 gramsof tissue minimum per test) was placed in an oven set at 105° C.overnight to remove all water. The dried tissue was then sealed in ametal can with a lid and allowed to cool in a dessicator containingcalcium sulfate dessicant to prevent absorption of water from the air.After allowing the sample to cool for 10 minutes, the weight of thetissue was measured on a balance with an accuracy of ±0.0001 g. and theweight recorded (W₁).

The extraction was performed using a soxhlet extraction apparatus. Thesoxhlet extraction apparatus consisted of a 250 ml glass round bottomflask connected to a soxhlet extraction tube (Corning® no. 3740-M, witha capacity to top of siphon of 85 ml) and an Allihn condenser (Corning®no. 3840-MCO). The condenser was connected to a fresh cold water supply.The round bottom flask was heated from below using an electricallyheated mantle (Glas Col, Terre Haute, Ind. USA) controlled by a variableauto transformer (Superior Electric Co., Bristol, Conn. USA).

To conduct an extraction, the pre-weighed tissue containing the additivecomposition was placed into a 33 mm×80 mm cellulose extraction thimble(Whatman International Ltd, Maidstone, England). The thimble was thenput into the soxhlet extraction tube and the tube connected to the roundbottom flask and the condenser. Inside the round bottom flask was 150 mlof xylene solvent. The heating mantle was energized and water flowthrough the condenser was initiated. The variable auto transformer heatcontrol was adjusted such that the soxhlet tube filled with xylene andcycled back into the round bottom flask every 15 minutes. The extractionwas conducted for a total of 5 hours (approximately 20 cycles of xylenethrough the soxhlet tube). Upon completion the thimble containing thetissue was removed from the soxhlet tube and allowed to dry in a hood.The tissue was then transported to an oven set at 150° C. and dried for1 hour to remove excess xylene solvent. This oven was vented to a hood.The dry tissue was then placed in an oven set at 105° C. overnight. Thenext day the tissue was removed, placed in a metal can with a lid, andallowed to cool in a desiccator containing calcium sulfate desiccant for10 minutes. The dry, cooled extracted tissue weight was then measured ona balance with an accuracy of ±0.0001 g. and the weight recorded (W₂).

The % xylene extractives was calculated using the equation below:% xylene extractives=100×(W ₁ −W ₂)÷W ₁

Because not all of the additive composition may extract in the selectedsolvent, it was necessary to construct a calibration curve to determinethe amount of additive composition in an unknown sample. A calibrationcurve was developed by first applying a known amount of additive to thesurface of a pre-weighed tissue (T₁) using an air brush. The additivecomposition was applied evenly over the tissue and allowed to dry in anoven at 105° C. overnight. The weight of the treated tissue was thenmeasured (T₂) and the weight % of additive was calculated using theequation below:% additive=100×(T ₂ −T ₁)÷T ₁

Treated tissues over a range of additive composition levels from 0% to13% were produced and tested using the soxhlet extraction procedurepreviously described. The linear regression of % xylene extractives (Yvariable) vs. % additive (X variable) was used as the calibration curve.Calibration curve: % xylene extractives=m(% additive)+bor: % additive=(% xylene extractives−b)/mwhere: m=slope of linear regression equation

-   -   b=y-intercept of linear regression equation

After a calibration curve has been established, the additive compositionof a tissue sample can be determined. The xylene extractives content ofa tissue sample was measured using the soxhlet extraction procedurepreviously described. The % additive in the tissue was then calculatedusing the linear regression equation:% additive=(% xylene extractives−b)/mwhere: m=slope of linear regression equation

-   -   b=y-intercept of linear regression equation

A minimum of two measurements were made on each tissue sample and thearithmetic average was reported as the % additive content.

Dispersibility-Slosh Box Measurements

The slosh box used for the dynamic break-up of the samples consists of a14″W×18″D×12″H plastic box constructed from 0.5″ thick Plexiglas with atightly fitting lid. The box rests on a platform, with one end attachedto a hinge and the other end attached to a reciprocating cam. Theamplitude of the rocking motion of the slosh box is ±2″(4″ range). Thespeed of the sloshing action is variable but was set to a constant speedof 20 revolutions per minute of the cam, or 40 sloshes per minute. Avolume of 2000 mL of either the “tap water” or “soft water” soaksolution was added to the slosh box before testing. The tap watersolution can contain about 112 ppm HCO₃ ⁻, 66 ppm Ca²⁺, 20 ppm Mg²⁺, 65ppm Na⁺, 137 ppm Cl⁻, 100 ppm SO₄ ²⁻ with a total dissolved solids of500 ppm and a calculated water hardness of about 248 ppm equivalentsCaCO₃. The soft water solution, on the other hand, contains about 6.7ppm Ca²⁺, 3.3 ppm Mg²⁺, and 21.5 ppm Cl⁻ with a total dissolved solidsof 31.5 ppm and a calculated water hardness of about 30 ppm equivalentsCaCO₃. A sample was unfolded and placed in the slosh box. The slosh boxwas started and timing was started once the sample was added to the soaksolution. The break-up of the sample in the slosh box was visuallyobserved and the time required for break-up into pieces less than about1″ square in area was recorded. At least three replicates of the sampleswere recorded and averaged to achieve the recorded values. Sample whichdo not break-up into pieces less than about 1″ square in area within 24h in a particular soak solution are considered non-dispersible in thatsoak solution by this test method.

In this example, 14 tissue samples were made according to the presentdisclosure and subjected to at least one of the above tests and comparedto various commercially available tissue products.

The first three samples made according to the present disclosure (SampleNos. 1, 2 and 3 in the table below) were made generally according to theprocess described in Example 3 above.

Base web samples 4 through 7, on the other hand, were made generallyaccording to the process illustrated in FIG. 3. In order to adhere thebase web to a creping surface, which in this embodiment comprised aYankee dryer, additive compositions made according to the presentdisclosure were sprayed onto the dryer prior to contacting the dryerwith the web. Two-ply or three-ply tissue products were produced. Thesamples were then subjected to various standardized tests.

Initially, softwood kraft (NSWK) pulp was dispersed in a pulper for 30minutes at 4% consistency at about 100 degrees F. Then, the NSWK pulpwas transferred to a dump chest and subsequently diluted toapproximately 3% consistency. Then, the NSWK pulp was refined at 4.5hp-days/metric ton. The above softwood fibers were utilized as the innerstrength layer in a 3-layer tissue structure. The NSWK layer contributedapproximately 34% of the final sheet weight.

Two kilograms KYMENE® 6500, available from Hercules, Incorporated,located in Wilmington, Del., U.S.A., per metric ton of wood fiber wasadded to the furnish prior to the headbox.

Aracruz ECF, a eucalyptus hardwood Kraft (EHWK) pulp available fromAracruz, located in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, was dispersed in apulper for 30 minutes at about 4% consistency at about 100 degreesFahrenheit. The EHWK pulp was then transferred to a dump chest andsubsequently diluted to about 3% consistency. The EHWK pulp fibersrepresent the two outer layers of the 3-layered tissue structure. TheEHWK layers contributed approximately 66% of the final sheet weight.

Two kilograms KYMENE® 6500 per metric ton of wood fiber was added to thefurnish prior to the headbox.

The pulp fibers from the machine chests were pumped to the headbox at aconsistency of about 0.1%. Pulp fibers from each machine chest were sentthrough separate manifolds in the headbox to create a 3-layered tissuestructure. The fibers were deposited onto a felt in a Crescent Former,similar to the process illustrated in FIG. 3.

The wet sheet, about 10-20% consistency, was adhered to a Yankee dryer,traveling at about 2500 fpm, (750 mpm) through a nip via a pressureroll. The consistency of the wet sheet after the pressure roll nip(post-pressure roll consistency or PPRC) was approximately 40%. The wetsheet adhered to the Yankee dryer due to the additive composition thatis applied to the dryer surface. Spray booms situated underneath theYankee dryer sprayed the additive composition, described in the presentdisclosure, onto the dryer surface at an addition level of 100 to 600mg/m².

To prevent the felt from becoming contaminated by the additivecomposition, and to maintain desired sheet properties, a shield waspositioned between the spray boom and the pressure roll.

The sheet was dried to about 95%-98% consistency as it traveled on theYankee dryer and to the creping blade. The creping blade subsequentlyscraped the tissue sheet and a portion of the additive composition offthe Yankee dryer. The creped tissue basesheet was then wound onto a coretraveling at about 1970 fpm (600 mpm) into soft rolls for converting.The resulting tissue basesheet had an air-dried basis weight of 14.2g/m2. Two or three soft rolls of the creped tissue were then rewound andplied together so that both creped sides were on the outside of the 2-or 3-ply structure. Mechanical crimping on the edges of the structureheld the plies together. The plied sheet was then slit on the edges to astandard width of approximately 8.5 inches and folded. Tissue sampleswere conditioned and tested.

The additive composition that was applied to Sample Nos. 4 through 7 andtested is as follows:

Polymer Dispersing Agent (wt. ratios in parentheses) Dispersing Agentconc. (wt. %) AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5986 PRIMACOR ™ 5986 40.0(60/40) Polymer Particle Poly- Solids Viscosity Temp size (um)dispersity (wt. %) pH (cp) (° C.) RPM Spindle 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3 44822.1 50 RV3

DOWICIL™ 75 antimicrobial, which is a preservative with the activecomposition of 96% cis 1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantanechloride (also known as Quaternium-15) obtained from The Dow ChemicalCompany, was also present in each of the additive compositions.

The percent solids in solution for the different additive compositionswas varied to deliver 100 to 600 mg/m² spray coverage on the YankeeDryer. Varying the solids content in solution also varies the amount ofsolids incorporated into the base web. For instance, at 100 mg/m2 spraycoverage on the Yankee Dryer, it is estimated that about 1% additivecomposition solids is incorporated into the tissue web. At 200 mg/m2spray coverage on the Yankee Dryer, it is estimated that about 2%additive composition solids is incorporated into the tissue web. At 400mg/m2 spray coverage on the Yankee Dryer, it is estimated that about 4%additive composition solids is incorporated into the tissue web.

Sample Nos. 8 through 13, on the other hand, were produced according tothe process described in Example No. 2 above.

Tissue Sample No. 14, on the other hand, comprised a 2-ply product.Tissue Sample No. 14 was made similar to the process described inExample 3. The tissue web, however, was substantially dry prior to beingattached to the dryer drum using the additive composition.

Prior to testing, all of the samples were conditioned according to TAPPIstandards. In particular, the samples were placed in an atmosphere at50% relative humidity and 72° F. for at least four hours.

The following results were obtained:

Basis Additive Identification Weight - Basis Composition xyleneDispersibility Sample of Control # Bone Dry Weight Coverage GMT GMT/ HSTextraction Slosh Box Stick-Slip No. Samples plies (gsm) (gsm) (mg/m²)(g/3″) Ply (seconds) add-on (%) (min) Result Control PUFF's Plus 2 0−0.020 1 (Procter & Gamble) Control CELEB Glycerin 2 0 −0.019 2 TreatedTissue (Nepia) Control KLEENEX Ultra 3 39.21 0 880 293 65.8 −0.018 3(Kimberly-Clark) Control PUFFS 2 0 672 336 −0.018 4 (Procter & Gamble)Control KLEENEX Lotion 3 0 −0.017 5 (Kimberly-Clark) Control KLEENEX 226.53 0 622 311 1.2 −0.012 6 (Kimberly-Clark) Control COTTONELLE Ultra 20 1.1 −0.013 7 (Kimberly-Clark) Control ANDREX 2 0 0.1 −0.017 8(Kimberly-Clark) Control CHARMIN Ultra 2 0 1.9 −0.018 9 (Procter &Gamble) Control CHARMIN Plus 2 0 −0.018 10 (Procter & Gamble) ControlCHARMIN Giant 1 0 −0.021 11 (Procter & Gamble) 1 2 2804 1.5 23.8 0.058 22 701 927 464 6.8 0.054 3 2 1402 1170 585 13.3 0.070 4 2 27.32 200 792396 4.1 1.2 0.000 5 2 26.89 400 775 388 7 4.1 0.016 6 3 39.93 400 1067356 9.8 3.3 0.018 7 2 431 874 437  3.2* 0.023 8 1 42.6 822 387 0.7 3.8 00.001 9 1 41.7 800 764 0.018 10 1 29 310 1087 0.000 11 1 31.5 355 1685−0.002 12 1 36.6 2633 500 0.059 13 1 30.8 411 563 0 0.0 14 2 28 411 14571.2 1.4 0.5 −0.006

As shown above, the samples made according to the present disclosure hadgood water absorbency rates as shown by the Hercules Size Test. Inparticular, samples made according to the present disclosure had an HSTof well below 60 seconds, such as below 30 seconds, such as below 20seconds, such as below 10 seconds. In fact, many of the samples had anHST of less than about 2 seconds.

In addition to being very water absorbent, bath tissue samples madeaccording to the present disclosure even containing the additivecomposition had good dispersibility characteristics. For instance, asshown, the samples had a dispersibility of less than about 2 minutes,such as less than about 1½ minutes, such as less than about 1 minute.

As also shown by the above table, samples made according to the presentdisclosure had superior stick-slip characteristics. The stick-slip datais also graphically illustrated as FIG. 28. As shown, samples madeaccording to the present disclosure had a stick-slip of from about−0.007 to about 0.1. More particularly, samples made according to thepresent disclosure had a stick-slip of greater than about −0.006, suchas greater than about 0. All of the comparative examples, on the otherhand, had lower stick-slip numbers.

Example 5

Tissue samples made according to the present disclosure were preparedsimilar to the process described in Example No. 4 above. In thisexample, the additive composition was applied to the first sample in arelatively heavy amount and to a second sample in a relatively lightamount. In particular, Sample No. 1 contained the additive compositionin an amount of 23.8% by weight. Sample No. 1 was made similar to themanner in which Sample No. 1 was produced in Example No. 4 above. SampleNo. 2, on the other hand, contained the additive composition in anamount of about 1.2% by weight. Sample No. 2 was made generally in thesame manner as Sample No. 4 was made in Example No. 4 above.

After the samples were prepared, one surface of each sample wasphotographed using a scanning electron microscope.

The first sample containing the additive composition in an amount of23.8% by weight is illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30. As shown, in thissample, the additive composition forms a discontinuous film over thesurface of the product.

FIGS. 31-34, on the other hand, are photographs of the sample containingthe additive composition in an amount of about 1.2% by weight. As shown,at relatively low amounts, the additive composition does not form aninterconnected network. Instead, the additive composition is present onthe surface of the product in discrete and separate areas. Even at therelatively low amounts, however, the tissue product still has a lotionyand soft feel.

Example 6

In this example, various compositions were printed onto an uncrepedthrough-air dried (UCTAD) base web according to a pattern and crepedfrom a creping drum. The compositions were used to adhere the base webto the drum. The samples were then tested for blocking, which refers tothe tendency of two adjacent sheets to stick together.

More particularly, the blocking test performed in this example is asfollows.

Blocking Test

1. Obtain samples of base sheets to be tested. The samples are cut so asto be 3 inches wide and 6 to 7 inches long. The width of the samples isthe cross-machine direction while the length is the machine direction ofthe base sheet.

2. Take two identical samples and place one on top of the other. Whentesting creped tissue sheets, the uncreped side of each sheet facesupwards. Thus, the uncreped side of the bottom sheet is placed incontact with the creped side of the top sheet.

3. Repeat step 2 above until five samples or stacks have been prepared.

4. Place a piece of LEXAN PLEXIGLAS on a flat surface. The LEXANPLEXIGLAS has a thickness of ¼ inch. A piece of printing and copyingpaper, twenty pound, of dimensions 8.5 inches×11 inches and 98brightness is placed on top of the LEXAN PLEXIGLAS.

5. Place the stacked samples on top of each other on the PLEXIGLAS. Eachstacked sample is separated by the copy paper as shown in FIG. 38.

6. A piece of the printing and copying paper, twenty pound, ofdimensions 8.5 inches×11 inches and 98 brightness is then placed on thetop sample and the resulting stack is topped with another piece of theLEXAN PLEXIGLAS as also shown in FIG. 38.

7. A 26-pound weight is placed on the top piece of PLEXIGLAS as alsoshown in FIG. 38. The entire structure is then placed in an agingchamber controlled at 40° C. and 75% relative humidity for five days.

8. After aging, each sample is then removed from the structure shown inFIG. 38. Each sample is then placed in a tensile tester equipped with acomputerized data-acquisition system that is capable of calculating anaverage peel strength in grams force. The tensile tester is a SintechTensile Tester loaded with TESTWORKS software. In the TESTWORKSsoftware, the 640-W peel method is used in which the jaw spacing is setto one inch.

9. Take the first sample and gently begin to separate the two tissuesheets along a top edge. Place one sheet of the sample in the lower jawand the other sheet of the sample in the upper jaw of the tensiletester. When using creped tissue sheets, the creped side of the sampleis visible and facing out.

10. Start the test to measure the blocking force. In particular, thetensile tester peels the two sheets apart. Peeling occurs along thelength (machine direction) of the sample. The test is repeated for allfive samples produced and the blocking force is measured and averagedfor the five samples.

In this example, the uncreped through-air dried base webs were formed ina process similar to the process shown in FIG. 2. The base sheets had abasis weight of from 42.7 gsm to 44.5 gsm. The base sheet was made from100% northern softwood kraft pulp.

As described above, after being formed, the base sheets were thensubjected to a print creping process. The print creping process isgenerally illustrated in FIG. 8. The sheet was fed into a gravureprinting line where a creping composition was printed onto the surfaceof the sheet similar to the process described in Example 2 above.

In a first set of samples, a conventional creping adhesive was appliedto the base sheet. An additive composition made in accordance with thepresent disclosure was then added in different amounts to theconventional creping adhesive. Finally, samples were made containingonly the additive composition made in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

The conventional creping adhesive used was AIRFLEX 426 binder obtainedfrom Air Products, Inc. of Allentown, Pa. AIRFLEX 426 is a flexible,non-crosslinking carboxylated vinyl acetate-ethylene terpolymeremulsion.

The additive composition made according to the present disclosure was asfollows:

Polymer Dispersing Agent (wt. ratios in parentheses) Dispersing Agentconc. (wt. %) AFFINITY ™ EG8200/PRIMACOR ™ 5986i PRIMACOR ™ 5986i 40.0(60/40) Polymer Particle Poly- Solids Viscosity Temp size (um)dispersity (wt. %) pH (cp) (° C.) RPM Spindle 0.71 2.12 40.0 11.3 44822.1 50 RV3

The following samples were produced containing the conventional crepingadhesive and the additive composition in the following percentages:

% Conventional % Additive Sample No. Creping Adhesive Composition 1 1000 2 98 2 3 90 10 4 75 25 5 0 100

Sheet blocking was tested for each of the above samples according to theprocess described above. The blocking results are illustrated in FIG.39. The samples were also tested for GMT, GMTEA, GMM/GMT and for wet/drytensile in the cross direction. The following results were obtained.

Cross Direction Sample No. GMT(gf) GMTEA (J/m2) GMMod/GMT W/D(%) 1 172036.8 3.71 55 Untreated 1055 21.4 4.02 34 2 1061 22.3 3.83 33 3 1224 23.84.09 34 4 1416 25.8 4.84 30 5 2783 41.5 6.54 45As shown in FIG. 39, sheet blocking drastically reduced as the amount ofthe additive composition increased in the creping composition. In fact,sheet blocking was substantially non-existent in Sample No. 5 that didnot contain any of the conventional creping adhesive.

As shown in the above table, the additive composition according to thepresent disclosure also significantly increases the geometric meantensile strength of the base sheet in comparison to the substantiallyidentical but untreated sample. For instance, the geometric mean tensilestrength more than doubled between the untreated sample and Sample No. 5that contained only the additive composition.

In this regard, based on various factors, the geometric mean tensilestrength of base sheets treated in accordance with the presentdisclosure may increase more than 10%, more than 25%, more than 50%,more than 75%, more than 100%, more than 125%, more than 150%, more than175%, and even more than 200% in comparison to a substantially identicaluntreated sample.

As also shown from the above table, various other properties of the basesheet were improved when the base sheet was treated with the additivecomposition made in accordance with the present disclosure in comparisonto the untreated sample.

In the next set of samples, various other additives were combined withthe conventional creping adhesive. In particular, the conventionalcreping adhesive mixture in addition to the AIRFLEX 426 binder containedKYMENE 6500 available from Hercules, Incorporated. KYMENE 6500 is a wetstrength agent. The conventional creping adhesive mixture also containedHERCOBOND available from Hercules, Incorporated, PROTOCOL CB2008defoamer available from Hercules, Incorporated and sodium hydroxide.

Chemistry % of Composition AIRFLEX 426 43.3 Protocol CB2008 0.2 Water 32Kymene 6500 13.6 Hercobond 1366 9.1 NaOH (10%) 1.8

The following samples were produced containing combinations of theconventional creping adhesive mixture and the additive composition madein accordance with the present disclosure:

% Conventional Creping % Additive Sample No. Adhesive MixtureComposition 6 100 0 7 97.5 2.5 8 95 5 9 25 75

The above samples produced the following results.

Cross Direction Sample No. GMT(gf) GMTEA (J/m2) GMMod/GMT W/D(%) 6 172036.8 3.71 55 7 1511 30.2 4.04 60 8 1478 31 4.16 53 9 2343 37.9 9.26 43The blocking results are shown in FIG. 40. As shown, blockingdramatically decreases as greater amounts of the additive compositionare contained in the creping adhesive.

It was noticed during these tests that the conventional creping mixturecontaining the KYMENE 6500 had a tendency to cause the additivecomposition to fall out of solution. As a result, further samples weremade in which the conventional creping adhesive mixture did not containthe KYMENE 6500 product. In particular, the following samples wereproduced:

% Conventional Creping % Additive Sample No. Adhesive MixtureComposition 10 100 0 11 98 2 12 90 10 13 75 25 14 25 75 15 0 100

The above samples produced the following results.

Cross Direction Sample No. GMT(gf) GMTEA (J/m2) GMMod/GMT W/D(%) 10 216343.7 4.08 31 11 2197 43.4 3.95 30 12 1956 37 4.28 33 13 1642 31.5 4.8832 14 2133 32.8 7.93 44 15 2783 41.5 6.54 45The blocking results are illustrated in FIG. 41. As shown, blockingreduced as greater amounts of the additive composition were present.

As shown above, sheet blocking can be less than 15 gf, such as less than10 gf, such as even less than 5 gf when the creping adhesive containsthe additive composition made according to the present disclosure.

Example 7

In this example, basesheets made according to the present disclosurewere tested in order to demonstrate the enhanced cleaning ability of thebasesheets. In particular, the samples were subjected to a Cleaning Testwhich measures the amount of dirt particles, in milligrams, that asample is capable of picking up.

More particularly, the Cleaning Test is described as follows.

Cleaning Test

The testing apparatus as shown in FIG. 27 and as explained in Example 4above is used to conduct the Cleaning Test. In this test, however, thebasesheet samples are clamped flat to the underside of the sled insteadof a collagen film. Sifted potting soil is then placed upon the metalplate and the sled is slid across the metal plate in order to allow thebasesheet sample to capture the potting soil.

More particularly, the procedure is as follows:

1) Basesheet samples are cut using a 3″ wide Precision cutter, weighed,and recorded in milligrams.

2) Samples are folded in half fastened to the 1.5″ sled with the treatedside facing out on the bottom of the sled.

3) Sifted commercial potting soil is weighed out to 88 milligrams foreach test. The sifted dirt is then positioned on a 1.25″×1.25″ templateon the testing surface.

4) The sled with the basesheet sample is positioned behind the dirt atthe same location each time and aligned with the pulley allowing for noslack.

5) The COF wipe method in Test Works is used. The tensile frame moves upand with the use of a pulley, moves the sled over the test sample. Thesled is moved 10 inches.

6) A 100 gram weight is positioned in the same spot for each test on topof the sled.

7) After the test is done, the sample is carefully removed (same wayeach time) weighed, and recorded. The amount of potting soil picked upby the sample in milligrams is determined.

8) Static and kinetic coefficient of friction results is recorded tocheck for repeatability of test samples.

In this example, tissue samples were made similar to Sample Nos. 4 and 5in Example 4 above. In particular, 2-ply creped samples were produced.The additive composition, however, was applied to one side of the tissuesamples in an amount of 5% by weight.

For purposes of comparison, a similar 2-ply tissue that did not containthe additive composition was tested. The results are illustrated in FIG.42.

As shown, the sample made in accordance with the present disclosure hada Cleaning Test Value of greater than 7 mg, while the Control had aCleaning Test Value of 3 mg.

Example 8

The Cleaning Test described in Example 7 above was used to testhydroentangled webs. In particular, an untreated hydroentangled web wascompared to a similar hydroentangled web that was treated with theadditive composition.

In this example, the hydroentangled material used had a basis weight of51 gsm. The hydroentangled base sheets contained 50% by weight cellulosefibers and 50% by weight spunbond fibers.

For the hydroentangled base sheets treated in accordance with thepresent disclosure, the additive composition was applied to the basesheet generally using the process shown in FIG. 37. The additivecomposition used was the same that was used to treat the samples inExample 7 above. The additive composition was added to the base sheet inan amount of 2.3 gsm.

The treated hydroentangled base sheet was then subjected to the cleaningtest described in Example 7 above along with a control sample that wasuntreated. The results are shown in FIG. 43. As shown, the controlsample had a Cleaning Test Value of only 1 mg, while the sample made inaccordance with the present disclosure had a Cleaning Test Value ofgreater than 8 mg.

Example 9

In this embodiment, uncreped throughair dried tissue samples weresubjected to the Cleaning Test described in Example 7 above.

Three different samples were tested. The first sample comprised theuncreped throughair dried tissue treated with the additive compositionof the present disclosure. In particular, the additive composition wasprinted onto the base web and contained the same ingredients as SampleNo. 5 in Example No. 1 above. The additive composition was printed ontoboth sides of the base web using a gravure printer. The additivecomposition was applied to each side of the web in an amount from about9 to about 10% by weight.

For purposes of comparison, a first control sample was made by printingthe uncreped throughair dried tissue web with water. A second controlsample was then also made by printing onto the uncreped throughair driedtissue web a conventional creping adhesive. The conventional crepingadhesive used was the same described in Sample No. 6 in Example No. 6above.

All three samples were subjected to the Cleaning Test described inExample 7 above. The results are illustrated in FIG. 44.

As shown, the tissue sample treated with water had a Cleaning Test Valueof less than 3 mg while the control sample treated with the conventionalcreping adhesive had a Cleaning Test Value of 4 mg. In comparison, thesample made in accordance with the present disclosure had a CleaningTest Value of greater than 5 mg.

These and other modifications and variations to the present inventionmay be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which ismore particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may beinterchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is byway of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention sofurther described in such appended claims.

1. A wiping product comprising: a base sheet having a first side and asecond side, wherein said base sheet comprises from 0 to 49 percent byweight of cellulosic materials; a coating derived from an aqueouspolyolefin dispersion, wherein said coating is present on at least thefirst side of the sheet, and wherein said coating has a thickness in therange of from 0.01 microns to 10 microns, and wherein said coatingcomprises an interconnected network with openings or said coatingcomprises discrete areas, and wherein said polyolefin dispersioncomprises (a) a thermoplastic polymer comprising an alpha olefininterpolymer of ethylene or propylene and at least one comonomer, eachcomonomer being selected from the group consisting of octene, heptene,hexene, decene, and dodecene; (b) a dispersing agent, wherein saiddispersing agent is a polar polymer; and (c) water, and wherein saidaqueous polyolefin dispersion has an average particle size in the rangeof from 0.05μ to 5 μm and a pH in a range of from 7 to 11, and whereinsaid dispersion comprises more than 25 percent by weight of water; andwherein the first side of the base sheet has a Cleaning Test Value ofgreater than about 5 mg.
 2. The wiping product of claim 1, wherein theproduct has a bulk of less than 3 cc/g.
 3. The wiping product of claim1, wherein said sheet further comprises non-cellulosic materials.
 4. Thewiping product of claim 1, wherein the first side of the base sheet hasa Cleaning Test Value of greater than about 6 mg.
 5. The wiping productof claim 1, wherein the base sheet comprises a wetlaid tissue web. 6.The wiping product of claim 1, wherein the base sheet comprises an airformed web.
 7. The wiping product of claim 1, wherein the base sheetcomprises a spunbond web or a meltblown web.
 8. The wiping product ofclaim 1, wherein the base sheet comprises a hydroentangled webcontaining synthetic fibers and cellulosic fibers.
 9. The wiping productof claim 1, wherein the base sheet comprises a coform web containingsynthetic fibers and cellulosic fibers.
 10. The wiping product of claim1, wherein the base sheet contains at least one base web that definesthe first side and wherein the dispersion has been applied to the firstside of the base web and the base web has been creped after thedispersion has been applied.
 11. The wiping product of claim 1, whereinthe dispersion has been first applied to a creping surface and then thefirst side of the base sheet is contacted with the creping surface inorder to apply the dispersion to the first side.
 12. The wiping productof claim 10, wherein the dispersion has been applied to the first sideof the base sheet according to a pattern and the base web has beencreped after the dispersion has been applied.
 13. The wiping product ofclaim 1, wherein the wiping product is substantially dry.
 14. The wipingproduct of claim 1, wherein the base sheet contains a cleaning solution.15. The wiping product of claim 1, wherein the presence of the coatingderived from the dispersion increases the geometric mean tensilestrength of the base sheet by at least 10% in comparison to asubstantially identical untreated sheet.
 16. The wiping product of claim1, wherein the base sheet has a wet/dry tensile strength of at leastabout 25%.
 17. The wiping product of claim 1, wherein the base sheet hasa Cleaning Test Value of greater than about 7 mg.
 18. The wiping productof claim 1, wherein the first side of the base sheet has a stick slip ofgreater than about −0.006 to about 0.7.
 19. The wiping product of claim1, wherein the first side of the base sheet has a Cleaning Test Value ofgreater than about 8 mg.
 20. The wiping product of claim 1, wherein saidinterpolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer has a melting pointtemperature of less than 120° C.